Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma is in Luanda today for the 40th Anniversary of the Independence of Angola celebrations.
The working visit by President Zuma also seeks to reaffirm the historical and fraternal relations that exist between South Africa and Angola, said the Presidency on Tuesday.
President Zuma is accompanied by the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Siyabonga Cwele.
The southern African state of Angola gained its independence from former colonial power Portugal in 1975, which ended nearly 500 years of Portuguese rule.
The relations between Pretoria and Luanda were cemented during the years of the liberation struggle against colonialism and apartheid when Angola played a significant role in supporting the fight against apartheid.
Because of this history, South Africa and Angola enjoy solid political, economic and social cooperation as expressed through a Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation (JCC).
“There is growing … economic cooperation between the two countries as evidenced by an increasing number of South African companies that have invested in the Angolan economy,” said the Presidency.
In 2014, South African imports from Angola amounted to R21.8 billion while exported goods were worth about R2.2 billion.
Furthermore, South Africa, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have established a unique Tripartite Mechanism on Dialogue and Cooperation between them aimed at helping the DRC to consolidate peace and stability and thus foster regional stability and development. - SAnews.gov.za
