Ambassador Sheila Sisulu presented her credentials to President William Jefferson Clinton at a ceremony at the White House yesterday.
Ambassador Sisulu expressed to the President Clinton South Africa's commitment to promoting relations between the two countries. She remarked that "Although South Africa and the United States of America are separated by geography, there are historical commonalities between our people. Today our two countries are founded on shared values, such as the rule of law, democracy, respect for human rights, economic prosperity and international peace and stability".
The Ambassador commented that in order to underpin South Africa's political achievement, progress must be made towards ensuring that all South Africans enjoy the benefit of improved social and economic conditions. She therefore, emphasized the expansion of economic and people to people links between the United States of America and South Africa.
Ms Sheila Sisulu (50) served as South Africa's Consul-General in New York from 1997. She holds a BA degree from the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland and a B Ed degree from the University of the Witwatersrand. Throughout her career Ambassador Sisulu was particularly active in the field of education. Over a period of ten years, between 1978 and 1988, she held various positions in the South African Committee for Higher Education (SACHED). From 1988 to 1991 she was the Education Coordinator of the African Bursary Fund of the South African Council of Churches, assisting member churches and organisations to develop a critical understanding of the issues, development and debates in education. She became Director of the Joint Enrichment Project (JEP) - a Youth Service Organisation - in 1991, a position she held until 1994. Mrs Sisulu's wide-ranging experience in the educational field culminated in her appointment as Special Advisor to the Minister of Education in 1994.
Ambassador Sisulu is married to Lungie Sisulu, the son of Mr Walter Sisulu who was jailed together with President Nelson Mandela at Robben Island. They have three children, a daughter Ntsiki Sisulu-Singapi and two sons, Linda and Boitumelo
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
ON BEHALF OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY, WASHINGTON.
PRETORIA
20 APRIL 1999