Jacob Zuma to visit Lesotho for talks on Sacu

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Jacob Zuma to visit Lesotho for talks on Sacu

7:21 CAT | 07 Jun 2016

President Jacob Zuma and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan

President Jacob Zuma is scheduled to visit Lesotho this week for talks about the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu).

Zuma is the chairman of the Sacu summit.

Sacu member states are Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, SA and Swaziland.

The Presidency on said Tuesday that the consultations to be held in Lesotho were a follow-up to discussions held by Sacu heads of state and government at the inauguration of the new headquarters building in Windhoek, Namibia, in November last year.

“The discussions will also focus on progress in the implementation of the Sacu work programme as adopted by the 2011 Sacu Summit,” presidential spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga said.

“The deliberations will also consider regional, continental and global economic and trade developments and their impact on Sacu.”

International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will accompany Zuma to Lesotho.

In April this year Zuma travelled to Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland for similar consultations on Sacu.

It has been a busy year for Zuma, who has travelled to 14 countries since January.

Questions have been raised about the presidential jet, which has reportedly had some technical difficulties.

While in Qatar last month the plane, Inkwazi, broke down and an alternative aircraft had to be sources to return Zuma home.

Shortly after that there were reports that the president had refused to fly because he allegedly feared he was being sabotaged.

However, the Presidency denied this, saying the reports were misleading.

“The Presidency requested that a reliable aircraft be made available on May 23 2016 in order to avoid another inconvenience too soon after Qatar,” it said at the time.

In March this year, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula confirmed that her department would acquire a new presidential jet‚ but denied that there was a preferred option or that an amount of R4bn had been earmarked for it.

Source: Business Day Live