US, South Africa 'on a new track'
Chris Bathembu
11 August 2009
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her South African counterpart, International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, have committed to strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
Clinton held talks with Nkoana-Mashabane in Pretoria on Friday after arriving in South Africa on Thursday night.
She also paid a courtesy visit to Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe at the Union Buildings, and was a guest at a Women's Day dinner later in the evening, before meeting President Jacob Zuma in Durban on Saturday.
South Africa was the third country, after Kenya and Somalia, on Clinton's seven-leg African tour.
Addressing journalists at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria, Clinton and Nkoana-Mashabane admitted that relations between South Africa and the US had not been that strong in the recent past, but pledged to work hard to change that.
"There has been indeed a lack of co-ordination in our relations, and we need to change that," Nkoana-Mashabane said.
Zimbabwe
However, it was Zimbabwe that dominated the press conference, with journalists keen to know how Clinton's visit to South Africa could help find solutions to the unstable political situation of its neighbouring country."South Africa is very aware of the challenges posed by the political situation in Zimbabwe. The country has more than three million refugees from Zimbabwe ... and the minister and I have talked about ways to create a better outcome for the people of Zimbabwe", Clinton said.
"We as you know are attempting to target the leadership of Zimbabwe with the sanctions we think that might influence their behaviour," she said.
She said that US President Barack Obama, during a recent visit by Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, had committed US to providing more help on education, health and basic necessities for Zimbabweans.
Nkoana-Mashabane said South Africa, for its part, would continue to press for the implementation of the power-sharing agreement signed by Zimbabwe's political leaders last year.
"We want them to fast-track the actual implementation of the agreement," Nkoana-Mashabane said.
She added that President Jacob Zuma, after meeting Tsvangirai in South Africa last week, said South Africa would help to resolve issues holding up the process.
Aids
Clinton told reporters that the US would be working closer with the South African government in the fight against HIV/Aids in the country and on the continent."We stand ready to work with the South African government in whatever way is effective on this matter, and I will be discussing that with the health minister later ][on Friday]," she said.
On the deteriorating political situation in Somalia, Clinton and Nkoana-Mashabane said their governments will work to support the transitional federal government in that country.
Clinton said she had met with President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed on Thursday to see how the US could help bring about stability in Somalia.
Somalia is at a crossroads, as the formation of a new government has so far not helped to heal the wounds caused by decades of civil war in the country. The fragile government reportedly has control of just a few blocks in the capital city of Mogadishu.
Source: BuaNews
