by AKANI CHAUKE
PRETORIA, (CAJ News) – THIS week’s visit by Germany President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is iconic in that it marks 30 years of freedom and democracy in South Africa and the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted his German counterpart on a working visit at Mahlamba Ndlopfu, the president’s official residence in the capital, Pretoria.
Steinmeier arrived in South Africa after attending a three-day state visit to Nigeria and was scheduled to depart Pretoria to Lesotho on Saturday, where he will be the first German president to visit.
During his visit to South Africa, Steinmeier was accompanied by a business delegation of ten chief executive officers of German companies and participated in a business roundtable on Friday afternoon.
He was also to lay a wreath at Freedom Park heritage site, ahead of South Africa’s Reconciliation Day on Monday.
In Africa’s largest economy, which he previously visited in 2018, Steinmeier’s latest visit coincided with the host country’s new G2O presidency.
The two leaders had an opportunity to engage on a variety of issues of mutual interest, thereby enhancing the strategic relationship and fostering closer cooperation between the two countries.
“South Africa has a very substantial and diverse relationship with Germany,” the Presidency stated.
“Germany is one of South Africa’s most important strategic partners and is the third largest market for South African exports, the third largest source of overseas tourists, as well as a major investor and development partner,” Ramaphosa said.
In 2020, South Africa and Germany signed a joint initiative on the promotion of vocational training aimed at tackling the high unemployment rate in the Southern African nation of more than 60 million people.
Youth unemployment in South Africa took centre stage as Ramaphosa hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel on an official, two-day visit on 6th February 2020.
Then, Germany expressed interest in supporting South Africa with its energy supply with particular focus on renewable energy.
In 2022, Chancellor Olaf Scholz also visited South Africa.
It is then that the two countries’ contrasting stances on prevailing global issues policy emerged.
Europe’s largest economy, Germany is seen as siding with Ukraine in the war with Russia, while South Africa is backing Russia due to their BRICS cooperation.
Also, Germany has expressed solidarity with Israel, in its onslaught on Palestine, while South Africa supports the latter.
– CAJ News