Pretoria - The country's international relations will take centre stage over the next few days as South Africa continues to position itself as a global player.
A Cabinet statement, issued on Thursday after the executive's fortnightly meeting, shows that the next few days will see several interactions by South Africa's diplomats on different issues. Cabinet also used the meeting to reiterate its position on several international hot topics.
The activities kick off with President Jacob Zuma's official visit to Kingston, Jamaica, from 4 - 6 August.
Zuma's visit forms part of the year-long celebrations in Jamaica to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of that country's independence.
"[The visit] will serve to recognise the role Jamaica has played during South Africa's struggle for liberation, as well as to celebrate Jamaica's achievements as an independent, stable constitutional democracy," said the Cabinet statement.
According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), President Zuma is expected to hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and will exchange views on strengthening relations between the two countries, as well as on issues of mutual concern, both in the bilateral and multilateral spheres.
Before he departs for Jamaica, Zuma will meet heads of missions accredited to South Africa at the Sefako M Makgatho Presidential Guest House in Pretoria to update them on domestic and international issues.
"The meeting is aimed at enhancing relations between South Africa and countries with diplomatic missions in our country and to celebrate the fact that South Africa has had an increase in diplomatic missions over the years since the dawn of freedom," said the statement.
Meanwhile, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will host United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, for the second meeting of the South Africa-United States Strategic Dialogue from next week Tuesday.
Bilateral relations between the two countries are strong, especially with the US administration's interest in partnering with South Africa domestically and regionally. Cabinet said the meeting would discuss a "range of issues of mutual interest".
Cabinet further expressed concern about the violence in the Eastern DRC and called for the end of the conflict and for peace to be restored.
Intense fighting between Congolese troops in eastern DRC and M23 rebels has seen tens of thousands of Congolese refugees fleeing to neighbouring south-western Uganda, where their influx is said to be stalling the provision of aid.
The M23 rebel group, composed of renegade soldiers who mutinied in April, is led by Bosco Ntaganda, an army general wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes for recruiting and using children in combat in the DRC's northeast in 2002 - 2003.
The fighting is also seen as a security threat to neighbouring countries Uganda and Rwanda because of the porous nature of the borders.
Such lawlessness is seen as a loophole that dissidents hiding in the eastern DRC can use to launch attacks.
On Syria, Cabinet reiterated that there was no military solution to the dispute and that the first imperative was to stop the killing and end the suffering of innocent civilians.
It called for the implementation of the UN-Arab league envoy Kofi Annan's roadmap, which calls for an end to violence; access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need; the release of detainees, and the start of inclusive political dialogue, among others.
South Africa's call comes as clashes persisted on Tuesday, with scores of deaths in Syria's northern Aleppo province, forcing over 124 000 refugees to flee the country.
Meanwhile, Cabinet also paid tribute to Ghana's late President John Atta Mills, who passed away last Tuesday while receiving medical attention after being suddenly taken ill a few hours earlier.
The funeral will be held from August 8 - 10 in Accra, with several Heads of State and high-powered delegations across the world expected to attend the memorial service for the late president.
Cabinet echoed President Zuma's sentiments in paying tribute to Mills.
"South Africa and Ghana enjoy strong relations at both the bilateral and multilateral levels, and under President Mills's leadership, we saw genuine efforts aimed at deepening the historical relations between our two nations."
