Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be hosted by South Africa in Durban from 12 to 15 November 1999. As is customary, The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Ed inburgh will pay a State Visit to South Africa, prior to CHOGM from 9 to 11 November 1999. The British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Robin Cook, will accompany the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh for the duration of the State Visit.
The President and Mrs. Mbeki will officially receive The Queen and The Duke on 10 November 1999 at the Union Buildings, followed by a private lunch in honour of The Queen at Oliver Tambo House. In the evening the President and Mrs. Mbeki will host a state banquet in honour of The Queen at the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria. During that afternoon, The Duke of Edinburgh will attend a SANDF/BMATT awards presentation with the Minister of Defence, Mr Mosiuoa Lekota at the Swartkops Air Force Museum, while T he Queen will meet with former President Mandela.
On 11 November 1999, The Queen will visit an Adult Education Training Centre (supported by the British Department for International Development) in Alexandra as well as the Alexandra Cricket Oval where she will watch aspiring young South African cricket pl ayers being coached by South African and British test cricketers. The Queen will also attend a reception in her honour hosted by the British High Commissioner in Johannesburg that same day. The Duke will follow a separate programme by visiting a British in vestment in Centurion and the "futurebritain" design exhibition in Newtown before joining The Queen at the reception.
The Queen then departs for Durban to attend the official opening ceremony of CHOGM that will take place on 12 November 1999. The Duke will follow a separate programme in KwaZulu/Natal, which includes a visit to a industrial skills training centre and to th e Spioenkop battle-site. The Deputy President, Mr. Jacob Zuma, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Dr Ben Ngubane and the Premier of KwaZulu/Natal will accompany The Duke to Spioenkop.
The Queen and the Duke will attend a CHOGM Remembrance Day Commemoration at the Durban Cenotaph on Sunday, 14 November 1999 where The Queen and The Duke will lay wreaths, before attending a service at St Paul’s Church.
The Queen and the Duke will depart for Mozambique on 15 November 1999.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
Pretoria
8 NOVEMBER 1999