The Premier of Mpumalanga, Mr Thabang Makwetla condemns xenophobic attacks during his visit in Egypt

22 May 2008

Ismailia, Egypt-Mpumalanga Premier Thabang Makwetla strongly condemned the on going xenophobic attacks in our country and defined them as a backward tendency that goes against the very grain of our liberation ethos and also distorting our politically identity.

Makwetla said the country's leadership was taking these negative developments seriously and "the acts are not driven by self respecting ordinary South Africans but outright criminal elements that are hiding behind the smokescreen of competition for jobs."

"The majority of South Africans know that our country belongs to the community of nations; the struggle against Apartheid was an international struggle. Our challenges of freedom, development and democracy can only be won with the assistance of the international community. It is in the above context that we view these negative developments back home as not being consistent with the spirit of our visit to Egypt," he explained.

Makwetla said this when he was addressing his Ismailian counterpart, Major- General Abdel Fakharany and the Ismailian Chamber of Commerce during the signing ceremony of Memorandum Of Understanding between Mpumalanga province of South Africa and Ismailia Region in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The ceremony took place yesterday in the Ismailia region of Egypt. Ismailia Governorate is situated 120 kilometres from the Suez Canal and has a population of more than 800 000 inhabitants. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two regions is expected to strengthen political and economic relations between the Ismailia, Northern Arabic Republic of Egypt and South Africa's Mpumalanga province.

The two regions boast a strong tourism potential and intend to boost their market share of international tourists. According to the agreement, Egyptian business representatives will start exploring the possibilities of investing in the furniture and wood processing industries. South Africa's largest concentration of forestry is located on the lowveld escarpments of Mpumalanga.

"There are the exciting and inviting possibilities for both regions. Our enterprises will benefit from a skills and technology exchange program" added Makwetla.

The MoU also stipulate exchanges on trade and investments in agro-processing, veterinary technology and farmer support, live cattle export. The co-operation will also include culture, language translations and sports development, with a special focus on soccer towards 2010.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Ismailia Governor Major General Abdel Fakharany said this MoU represents African brotherhood and "hopes this will be beneficial to both of us because it opens up new possibilities for our province and Egypt in general."

"The MoU is a very good and correct beginning for co-operation among the two regions. Too many things that include tourism, technology, agriculture, and industrial development that our chamber of commence find being worthy of being pursued will be followed up immediately," explained the Governor.

The Mpumalanga-Ismailia MoU occurs within the framework of the Republic of South Africa and Arab Republic of Egypt General Agreement of Co-operation that was signed by the two countries in 2001. Mpumalanga and Ismailia will form a Joint Provincial Technical Committee that will develop an action plan and identify specific projects that will drive the implementation process.