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PRETORIA. – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who took over the rotating African Union chairmanship at the weekend, extolled relations with Germany, describing the country as an important trade partner.
President Ramaphosa made the remarks when he welcomed Chancellor Angela Merkel in Pretoria last Thursday.
“Germany is South Africa’s second largest trading partner, a major investor in our economy, a significant tourism market for us as South Africans, and a most valued developmental partner. As Africans we would always like to see African problems being resolved by Africans.
“I’m pleased to say that German investors have not disappointed us. They have expanded their presence in our economy and they are deepening their contribution into job growth,” President Ramaphosa said.
On Libya, the South African head of state said there must be African solutions to African problems.
“As Africans we would always like to see African problems being resolved by Africans. There has to be African solutions to those problems. The Libyan problem is a unique one because we have a number of other countries outside of Africa involved in that conflict,” he said.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta who was on a state visit to the United States of America echoed similar sentiments when the told the Atlantic Council that African nations should be free to cooperate with both the United States and China, warning that foreign powers were exacerbating the continent’s divisions.
On the eve of his talks with President Donald Trump, President Kenyatta said he was “very concerned” about a return to the Cold War era when Africans had to choose between the United States and the Soviet Union.
“Western countries, and their counterparts in Asia and the Middle East, are returned to competition over Africa, in some cases weaponising divisions, pursuing proxy actions and behaving like Africa is for the taking.
“Well, I want to tell you it is not,” Kenyatta said at the Atlantic Council think tank. – AFP
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