President Ramaphosa thanks Kenya for apartheid struggle support

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has thanked Kenya for supporting his country's fight for freedom from apartheid.

“Kenya provided unwavering support and solidarity for many years during our struggle against the evil system of apartheid,” Ramaphosa said.

The South African President spoke on Tuesday evening in Pretoria when he hosted a state banquet in honour of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his delegation.

He pointed out that Uhuru’s State Visit had enabled the two countries to renew political, economic and social cooperation including establishing a firm foundation for greater collaboration between business communities of the two African economies.

Uhuru reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to continue working closely with the South African Government for the benefit of the people of the two countries.

The Kenyan leader noted that Kenya and South Africa have enjoyed warm and cordial diplomatic relations that date back to the time when apartheid was brought to an end in 1994.

Uhuru added that the two countries share common fundamental values that bind their people together.

“Our people-to-people connections and the trade and investment between our two fraternal states have thrived and I believe after this visit, they will even rise to greater heights," Uhuru said.

“It is my fervent desire to see these enduring links between our two nations grow even richer in the coming years."

On the fight against Covid-19, Uhuru applauded Ramaphosa’s outstanding efforts in combating the pandemic both in South Africa and on the African continent as a whole.

Earlier, the two presidents announced that a presidential task force is to be appointed to address visa-related issues between the two countries.

To this end, they acknowledged that the immigration departments of the two countries had finalised consultations on the technical requirements on immigration matters and concluded two legal instruments.

These instruments as well as the recent launch of the e-visa system will contribute towards simplifying visa processes and enable easier movement of people between the two countries.

Edited by D Tarus