SA, Tanzania to work on Intra-Africa trade

Friday, May 12, 2017

Pretoria - There is a need for South Africa and Tanzania to work together in establishing linkages that will allow effective and efficient intra-Africa trade, says President Jacob Zuma.

“In fact, our visit to Tanzania seeks to actualise the same sentiments that the two countries should work together more than ever.

“Similarly, as we fought the scourge of apartheid, with the same resolve South Africa and Tanzania should use their national resources strategically to combat the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality that are facing our people.

“We must utilise the Binational Commission (BNC) mechanism to consolidate and deepen our bilateral relations,” the President said.

President Zuma was speaking at the State Banquet hosted by Tanzanian President John Magufuli in Dar es Salaam on Thursday night.

The two countries have sixteen agreements and memoranda of understanding, including the two signed on Thursday.

“We need to prioritise the implementation of all these agreements. Through the BNC, we shall finalise the outstanding legal instruments.

“We had a successful engagement with business from both countries. We have agreed to invest in energy and infrastructure amongst other priorities, to address the economic development challenges and remove trade barriers in order to facilitate intra-Africa trade and regional integration,” President Zuma said.

Tanzania is geo-politically and strategically positioned. She is uniquely placed as a member of both SADC and the East African Community. Both organisations share the idea of cross-border economic integration, envisioned by the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area launched in June 2015.

Tanzania honoured for contribution to SA’s liberation struggle

President Zuma’s state visit takes place during Africa month and also during the year of former ANC President, Oliver Reginald Tambo.

He also used the platform to salute Tanzania’s contribution to South Africa’s struggle against apartheid.

“Tanzania in particular, has a special place in the hearts of the South African people and the continent. In this regard, we wish to salute and honour the selfless contribution and support of the people of Tanzania to our liberation struggle.

“It was in recognition of Tanzania’s contribution to our freedom that made Former President Nelson Mandela soon after his release from prison in 1990, to prioritise a visit to this great and true African country,” he said.

President Mandela’s visit was a recollection and expression of his personal appreciation to President Mwalimu Nyerere, whom he had met in 1962, and sought support for the armed struggle and a place to train uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) combatants.

President Zuma said historic decisions that changed the course of history in South Africa were taken here in Tanzania.

“This country afforded our movement the ANC and leadership the space to develop the watershed change in strategy, a gesture that would ultimately result in the eventual overthrow of one of the most inhumane and oppressive systems ever adopted by a regime.

“We will also never forget Tanzania’s contribution to the education of our people. Tanzania heeded our clarion call, when in the aftermath of the 1976 student uprising, our leader Oliver Reginald Tambo approached the Tanzanian Government for the allocation of a piece of land to establish a school for South African’s banished from their country to pursue an education worthy of our citizens,” he said.

The Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College (Somafco) was established and commenced to provide quality education.

Later, Dakawa was established to provide especially vocational training and further contribute to the skills South Africans acquired and which would in future also assist to build the new democratic South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za