United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit South Africa in August, says the department of international relations.
Clinton and International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane would hold the South Africa-United States Strategic Dialogue on August 7, said spokesperson Clayson Monyela on Sunday.
"It is expected that the meeting will discuss a range of issues of mutual interest," he said.
Monyela said the bilateral relations between South Africa and the US were strong and that the US administration was interested in partnering with South Africa domestically and regionally.
"High-level visits… by Vice President Joe Biden to South Africa in 2010 and the reciprocal visit by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe in 2011 to the USA, highlight the close relations between the two countries," he said
Monyela said the US continued to support South Africa's domestic priorities and wanted to align its assistance programmes and projects to South Africa's national priorities.
The US is currently South Africa's third largest trading partner, and is a significant investor.
Source: Mail & Guardian
Showing posts with label Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. Show all posts
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Minister defends Rasool post
Former Western Cape premier Ebrahim Rasool's appointment as ambassador to the US will not be reconsidered until allegations that journalists were paid to write favourable reports about him have been proven. Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane categorically stated yesterday that this decision would not be influenced by the ANC's admission that Rasool's recall was partly because of the allegations. Rasool stood down in 2008 and was redeployed to the Presidency.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told reporters last month that Rasool "was removed (as premier) partly on the basis of this case". He was referring to an affidavit by former Cape Argus reporter Ashley Smith who has claimed he wrote articles favourable to Rasool in return for which money was paid to a communications company in which he had an interest. Smith also said that Rasool had on several occasions discussed with him and then-Cape Argus political editor Joseph Aranes - who had also helped to set up the communications company - a media strategy for Rasool's political battles with rivals in the ANC.
Answering questions in the National Assembly yesterday, Nkoana-Mashabane was tackled by opposition party MPs who suggested her department was lax in appointing Rasool despite doubts about him within the ANC's leadership. "The allegation remains an allegation throughout the proper processes," she said. "So I will not take a quotation from the press conference to be a basis for me to make those considerations. "I can say that we've read about these allegations in the newspapers and the allegations have not been proven, therefore he is presumed innocent until proven otherwise."
The minister cautioned that people should not be judged "if there are due processes of law taking place. When the time comes, and that (issue) comes into play, we will take the necessary action," said Nkoana-Mashabane. She was asked by DA MP Stevens Mokgalapa what criteria and recommendations her department provided the president to select ambassadors and whether Rasool's appointment fitted those criteria. Nkoana-Mashabane made it clear that it remained President Jacob Zuma's prerogative to appoint the heads of mission who represent him abroad. Criteria included the experience and profile of recommended designates, she said.
Mokgalapa then honed in on Mantashe's admission, and was followed by more questions from Cope, IFP and ACDP MPs about the apparent inconsistency in appointing Rasool to such a high post when there had been doubts about his profile in the ruling party. "Don't you think this smacks of double standards?" asked Mokgalapa. The IFP's Koos van der Merwe said he found it "very strange that the minister actually rejects her party's secretary-general's statement. I want to ask the minister and through her the president - is it not wiser and better to wait until the law has taken its course before a person is appointed to such a high position," he said. Cope MP Mluleki George weighed in: "Why do you make such important positions, as you explained, a sanctuary for party members who have done some wrong in the country?"
The minister lashed out, calling them "opportunistic" because they had not opposed Rasool's nomination when it was announced.
Source: IoL
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told reporters last month that Rasool "was removed (as premier) partly on the basis of this case". He was referring to an affidavit by former Cape Argus reporter Ashley Smith who has claimed he wrote articles favourable to Rasool in return for which money was paid to a communications company in which he had an interest. Smith also said that Rasool had on several occasions discussed with him and then-Cape Argus political editor Joseph Aranes - who had also helped to set up the communications company - a media strategy for Rasool's political battles with rivals in the ANC.
Answering questions in the National Assembly yesterday, Nkoana-Mashabane was tackled by opposition party MPs who suggested her department was lax in appointing Rasool despite doubts about him within the ANC's leadership. "The allegation remains an allegation throughout the proper processes," she said. "So I will not take a quotation from the press conference to be a basis for me to make those considerations. "I can say that we've read about these allegations in the newspapers and the allegations have not been proven, therefore he is presumed innocent until proven otherwise."
The minister cautioned that people should not be judged "if there are due processes of law taking place. When the time comes, and that (issue) comes into play, we will take the necessary action," said Nkoana-Mashabane. She was asked by DA MP Stevens Mokgalapa what criteria and recommendations her department provided the president to select ambassadors and whether Rasool's appointment fitted those criteria. Nkoana-Mashabane made it clear that it remained President Jacob Zuma's prerogative to appoint the heads of mission who represent him abroad. Criteria included the experience and profile of recommended designates, she said.
Mokgalapa then honed in on Mantashe's admission, and was followed by more questions from Cope, IFP and ACDP MPs about the apparent inconsistency in appointing Rasool to such a high post when there had been doubts about his profile in the ruling party. "Don't you think this smacks of double standards?" asked Mokgalapa. The IFP's Koos van der Merwe said he found it "very strange that the minister actually rejects her party's secretary-general's statement. I want to ask the minister and through her the president - is it not wiser and better to wait until the law has taken its course before a person is appointed to such a high position," he said. Cope MP Mluleki George weighed in: "Why do you make such important positions, as you explained, a sanctuary for party members who have done some wrong in the country?"
The minister lashed out, calling them "opportunistic" because they had not opposed Rasool's nomination when it was announced.
Source: IoL
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Zuma strongly condemns Israeli attack
President Jacob Zuma has strongly condemned the Israeli naval raid on the humanitarian vessels destined for Gaza. On Monday Israeli troops stormed the aid flotilla in an attack that left nine people dead.
The aid convoy was seeking to overcome the Israeli blockade of the Gaza strip which has been imposed almost continuously since Hamas took control there three years ago. The incident forced the South African government to summon the Israeli Ambassador in South Africa Segev Steinberg to explain the raid incident.
Pretoria has described the Israeli government's action an unjustified military action, with Zuma expressing outrage at the incident. Zuma says from time to time the Middle-East issue exposes itself as one of the most serious issues. He says even the condemnations are subdued from other quarters and it reflects the kind of double standards.
In the absence of International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who is on an official visit to France, Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe summoned Steinberg to issue a Démarche, registering Government’s strongest possible protest to the Israeli government for its unjustified military action and resultant loss of life.
Van der Merwe stated that such a military attack was an aberration from acceptable behaviour on the part of a State party in dealing with civilians and that Israel must be held accountable for its actions under international law.
Source: Mail & Guardian
The aid convoy was seeking to overcome the Israeli blockade of the Gaza strip which has been imposed almost continuously since Hamas took control there three years ago. The incident forced the South African government to summon the Israeli Ambassador in South Africa Segev Steinberg to explain the raid incident.
Pretoria has described the Israeli government's action an unjustified military action, with Zuma expressing outrage at the incident. Zuma says from time to time the Middle-East issue exposes itself as one of the most serious issues. He says even the condemnations are subdued from other quarters and it reflects the kind of double standards.
In the absence of International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who is on an official visit to France, Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe summoned Steinberg to issue a Démarche, registering Government’s strongest possible protest to the Israeli government for its unjustified military action and resultant loss of life.
Van der Merwe stated that such a military attack was an aberration from acceptable behaviour on the part of a State party in dealing with civilians and that Israel must be held accountable for its actions under international law.
Source: Mail & Guardian
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