Zanele Mbeki heads for Beijing
6 August 2008
President Thabo Mbeki's wife, Zanele Mbeki, jets off to Beijing on Wednesday in her capacity as patron of the South African Olympic Team.
Ms Mbeki will officially represent South Africa at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, which begin on Friday and end on 24 August.
"Ms Mbeki will be joining a number of heads of state and government who will be representing their countries and thus leading their respective national teams to the world's most beautiful spectacle, the Olympic Games," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday.
Her participation has enabled South Africa's Olympic team to secure the highest diplomatic accreditation to the Games.
A team of 220 athletes - including team managers, technical staff and coaches - will be representing South Africa at the Games. The team, which departed from South Africa on 27 and 28 July, has been training and acclimatising in South Korea before proceeding to Beijing.
The President's wife previously represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games as well as at the 2000 Athens Olympics.
"Government joins all South Africans in wishing the South African National Olympics Team well in its endeavours in Beijing and expresses its conviction that it will represent the country with dignity and honour," the department said.
Source: BuaNews
