President Zuma to lead South Africa's delegation to the African Union Summit in Ethiopia
PRETORIA, South-Africa, January 27, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- His Excellency President Jacob Zuma will lead the South African delegation to the 24th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly (AU Summit) scheduled for 30-31 January 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The 2015 AU Summit will be held under the theme "Year of Women's Empowerment and Development towards Africa's Agenda 2063".
In conjunction with exploring concrete ways to achieving women's empowerment and gender equality in all spheres of life, the Summit will consider the adoption of Agenda 2063, a fifty-year continental trajectory. Furthermore, the Summit will also endeavour to address health related issues, especially the scourge of the Ebola pandemic; peace and security related issues, and; development and administrative related issues vis-à-vis New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
It will be recalled that the 22nd Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly held in Addis Ababa in January 2014 paid tribute to the late former President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Nelson Mandela, by bestowing the honour of naming the plenary hall of the African Headquarters after him. Consequently, the January 2015 Summit will inaugurate the Nelson Mandela Hall.
Prior to the Summit, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane will lead the South African delegation to the 26th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council to be held from 26-27 January 2015. The Executive Council is composed of Ministers or Authorities designated by the Governments of the AU Members States.
President Zuma will be accompanied by Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation; Mr Jeff Radebe, Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation; Ms Susan Shabangu, Minister in The Presidency Responsible for Women; Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans; Mr Collins Chabane, Minister of Public Service and Administration; Mr David Mahlobo, Minister of State Security; and Ms Ayanda Dlodlo, Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration.