Pretoria – President Hage Geingob has arrived in South Africa ahead of his state visit on Thursday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will host President Hage Geingob.
The SA Presidency said the visit aims to solidify bilateral relations between the two countries and it is expected that President Ramaphosa and President Geingob will discuss political and economic issues including regional, continental, and international matters of mutual concern.
They are expected to exchange views on the political situation in Eswatini, the conflict in Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), Palestine, and the Russia – Ukraine situation.
The fighting in Sudan will likely also be deliberated on.
South Africa and Namibia enjoy close historic relations and the structural bilateral relations between the two countries is conducted under the framework of a Bi-National Commission (BNC) inaugurated in 2013.
“The State Visit by President Geingob will afford the two countries an opportunity to solidify their bonds of friendship through assessing progress made in the implementation of the decisions of their BNC,” the Presidency said.
“The visit will also afford the two countries an opportunity to enhance economic cooperation; explore trade and investment; and identify new areas of cooperation.”
In 2022, South Africa imported R16.1 billion from Namibia and in turn South Africa exported R56.5 billion to Namibia.
The second session of the South Africa-Namibia BNC was held in South Africa in October of 2016.
The third session is scheduled to be hosted by Namibia. Meetings, at the senior officials level, are underway planning for this meeting.
The State Visit was preceded by a bilateral meeting between the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of South Africa, Dr. Naledi Pandor, and Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of Namibia on Wednesday, (19 April 2023).
Namibia is a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and President Geingob Chairs the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation.
The last State Visit to South Africa by Namibia took place in November of 2012, by former President Hifikepunye Pohamba.
