Pretoria – Cabinet has noted progress on the preparations for the fifth Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Summit to be held in Durban, next month.
The summit will be hosted by President Jacob Zuma under the theme ‘BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialisation’ from 26 to 27 March 2013.
BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The first BRIC Summit took place in Yekateringburg, Russia, where the elected leaders of the four countries formally declared the membership of the BRIC economic bloc. South Africa joined the bloc in 2010, resulting in BRICS.
South Africa officially became a member of BRICS on December 24, 2010, after being formally invited by the BRIC countries to join the group.
“In preparation, Government is hosting a series of awareness raising roadshows in all provinces on the importance of South Africa’s membership to the BRICS bloc,” said Acting Cabinet Spokesperson Phumla Williams on Thursday, at a Post Cabinet briefing.
Williams said roadshows have already taken place in Limpopo (23 January), North West (21 February) and Gauteng (23 February). In addition several public lectures and media workshops have also been conducted.
South Africa will host the summit with the aim of harnessing the country’s membership to benefit the entire African continent.
South Africa’s position going into the summit is to align BRICS member countries' interests in supporting the integration agenda in Africa, and not just focusing on access to the country’s resources. SAnews.gov.za
