by TINTSWALO BALOYI
PRETORIA, (CAJ News) – ANGOLA and South Africa are solidifying their relations.
Angolan President Joao Lourenco has been in South Africa since Wednesday, and on Thursday, his counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, hosted him
Discussions ranged from the pre-independence period, to the current geopolitical crises.
“South Africa and Angola share a fraternal bond that dates back to the support the MPLA gave to our liberation struggle,” Ramaphosa said.
MPLA is the acronym for People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola, the southern African country’s ruling party, which was at the helm of the country since independence from Portugal in 1975.
“When Angola achieved independence in 1975, we were still suffering under the tyranny of apartheid rule,” Ramaphosa said.
He in that regard praised Angola for assisting with the process of repatriating the remains of South African freedom fighters, who fell in battle in Angola.
At the meeting with Lourenco, Ramaphosa disclosed that increasing trade and investment between South Africa and Angola remains the former’s foremost objective.
“South Africa must become the destination of choice for Angolan goods, products and services, and vice versa,” Ramaphosa said.
The two countries have elevated their structured bilateral mechanism from a Joint Commission of Cooperation to a Bi-National Commission.
“This reflects our common commitment to deepen our relations,” the host president said.
Angola is spearheading dialogue between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.
– CAJ News