{Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza is set to arrive on a state visit on Monday night. Nkurunziza will undertake a two-day State Visit to South Africa on 4-5 November, which is scheduled to take place in Cape Town.}
This will be President Nkurunziza’s first state visit to South Africa since his assumption of office in 2005.
South Africa and Burundi are to strengthen political and economic ties. The two countries have a good relationship as SA played a pivotal role in stabilising the east African country over the past decades, as Burundi was once a country at war with itself.
South Africa mediated factional tensions in the tiny landlocked country. In 2000, former President Nelson Mandela handed over the process, to then deputy president Jacob Zuma. South Africa deployed troops there from 2003 to 2009.
The Burundi conflict was finally resolved and a new government ushered in 2005.
Founder and Executive Director of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) Vasu Gaunden, spoke of how the president of Burundi always said South Africa is the mother that gave birth to Burundi.
“I think this underscores the important role that the initial facilitator was Mwalimu Julius Nyerere from Tanzania, when he died the late Nelson Mandela took over the mediation. Thereafter South Africa has been quite intensely involved, President Jacob Zuma was heavily involved in mediation. This is a country that we had deployed as South Africa a lot of resources into helping to bringing peace into this country so its extremely important for South Africa.”
The focus has shifted to economic and political ties.
Trade, mining and agriculture are some of the areas expected to top the agenda and bilateral agreements will also be signed. Another addition to the agenda is a South Africa-Burundi Business Forum aimed at increasing trade and investment.
It is expected that two bilateral agreements will be signed during the visit.
A South Africa-Burundi Business Forum aimed at increasing trade and investment between the two countries will meet in Cape Town on 4 November 2014.
The two Presidents are also expected to use the occasion of the State Visit to exchange views in respect of developments at regional level, both with regard to the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community, as well as discuss broad issues affecting the continent within the context of the African Union.
SABC
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