Pretoria sees 37th OAU Summit as landmark event

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has described this week's OAU Summit as a landmark event in Africa's long history of conflict and underdevelopment.
The OAU 2001 Summit meetings will present a valuable forum for the member states to discuss continental issues and particularly strategize on the future political and socio- economic development of the African Continent, she said Sunday night in an interview on national television.
Dlamini-Zuma commended the work done by the OAU, saying it had played a vital role during its 38-year history, particularly in the liberation of Africa.
She said the time had come for the continent to restore its glory and Africa's current leadership was determined to end conflicts and focus on development.
Dlamini-Zuma is leading the South African delegation to the Council of Ministers while Sipho Pityana, Director-General of the Department to Foreign Affairs is leading a delegation to the Committee of Ambassadors and Plenipotentiaries.
President Thabo Mbeki and a number of Cabinet members are attending the Summit.
As Co-ordinator of Countries of the Region and the OAU Troika on the issue of the Comoros, South Africa will report on the implementation process of the All-Party Framework Agreement to return the Comoros to constitutional democracy.
Since good progress is being made with the process and since the parties to the Agreement have confirmed their commitment to it during a recent ministerial visit led by Dlamini-Zuma, it is expected that the Council of Ministers will consider lifting the existing measures introduced against some of the parties.
The meetings will also afford the South African delegations the opportunity to inform their counterparts of the progress made with the planning and hosting of the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) as well as the preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
Discussions on the Millennium Africa Recovery Program (MAP) and the Programme of Action will be held in order to obtain the official endorsement of the Heads of State and Government, South African officials said.