German Chancellor Angela Merkel to visit Angola

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to meet Angolan President, Joao Lourenco on Friday, on the second leg of her three-day visit to southern Africa.

The talks are expected to focus on bilateral political and economic relations between Germany and Angola as well as Angola’s role as a regional economic player.

Merkel, who is accompanied by a delegation of business leaders, is further set to attend the opening of a German-Angolan economic forum and sign several cooperation agreements and contracts.

The chancellor is expected to show her support for the Lourenco government’s reform course, particularly the fight against corruption.

The southern African nation’s political elite has been accused of endemic corruption for the past four decades.

Most recently, Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of the former long-term president, Jose Eduardo dos Santos and reportedly Africa’s richest woman, has come under investigation for embezzling millions of dollars of public money from a state oil company she headed.

On Thursday, Merkel visited South Africa, where she met President Cyril Ramaphosa for talks on strengthening the countries’ business ties as well as the conflict in Libya.

South Africa is Germany’s largest economic partner in Africa.

The chancellor also attended a round-table discussion with German and South African business people and met students at the University of Pretoria’s new Future Africa campus.