General News of Tuesday, 26 November 2013

Source: XYZ

Zuma to lay wreath at Mills’ tomb today to start 3-day visit

Jacob Zuma is in Ghana for a three-day working visit.

The South African president touched down in the West African country Monday night.

The Ghanaian Government hopes Zuma’s visit, which is reciprocal to late President John Mills’ four-day working visit to South Africa in 2011, will deepen ties between the two States.

Zuma’s itinerary

Zuma will lay a wreath on Mills’ tomb at the Asomdwee Park Tuesday morning.

He will hold a joint press conference with Mahama and later hold high profile meetings with the Ghanaian leader to further consolidate the already healthy relationship existing between the two countries.

Ghana and South Africa have set up Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) to coordinate economic activities between the two countries.

At a meeting earlier in the month, the PJCC met and drafted MoU on some key sectors such as Energy Science and Technology, Trade and Industry, Tourism, Environment.

It is expected that the draft MoU will be presented for signature by the respective presidents during the upcoming State visit of President Zuma to Ghana.

There are more than 80 South African companies registered in Ghana in various sectors such as mining, retail, insurance, transport, tourism, banking, telecommunication, construction, franchising, manufacturing, aviation and energy.

According to South Africa's International Relations and Cooperation Department, exports to Ghana have grown from less than R1billion in 1998 to over R3 billion in 2009.