She’ll speak to Africa  ambassadors in Pretoria about it – as he predecessor Lindiwe Sisulu did five months ago.

South Africa’s High Commission in Abuja and consulate in  Lagos have been temporarily closed because they came under attack from youths angered by the xenophobic violence in Pretoria and Johannesburg.

South African diplomatic missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia have received similar treatment.

African countries are using boycott – the same tactic employed during the anti-apartheid struggle – to express their displeasure.

Nigeria has shunned the World Economic Forum hosted in Cape Town.

Madagascar follows Zambia in refusing to play a friendly fixture against Bafana Bafana.

Air Tanzania has suspended flights to South Africa.

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The minister,  who was briefing media, says there’s not place for xenophobia in South Africa.

Naledi Pandour says despite some incidents of violence against foreigners,  South Africa is not a xenophobic country.

Sharing the platform with the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation was Police Minister Bheki Cele who commended the SAPS for their professionalism in dealing with the raids and the violent attacks from  the vendors.

Pandor says foreign envoys understand the need for  protecting and respecting the rule of law.

“Member of the diplomatic corps fully understood no country could allow the police service to be treated in that way. And that must be respected by every person.”

She says continued dialogue is the best way of countering xenophobia.

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She says being violent and destructive dishonors the protestors’ struggle.

Naledi Pandor was making the keynote speech to activists at the formulation of South Africa’s framework on woman, peace and security.

She ending the exploitation of women and  children as weapons of war will require muscular and concerted action.

But destroying public infrastructure or engaging in negative practices like throwing rubbish onto the streets destroys the legitimacy of  the cause being fought for 

“When we do not have peace in a protest, the persons most affected are women and children, the very target we wish to provide support to,” he says

Pandor  says orderly and peaceful protests signal the the demonstrators’ commitment to peace and security.

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Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu tells the closing ceremony of the BRICS business council in Johannesburg that the R30-billion  development deal done between ESCOM and BRICS New Development Bank will go a long way to ensuring an end to power shedding in South Africa.

Ends intro

Foreign Minister Lindiwe Sisulu says being part of the grouping with  Brazil, Russia, India and China has revolutionized South Africa’s economy and the way that it gets things done.

South Africa will help the BRICS Business Council navigate its way around Africa.

(take in the partners clip here)

Sisulu welcomes the coming into force of the African Free Trade Agreement with the ratification this week of the AU resolution by a 22nd country. 

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This follows the assertion by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu that Manuel Chang, who has been held in Johannesburg since last December  will be returned to Mozambique.

US Assistant Secretary of State Tibor Nagy says in a telephone interview today that Washington expects South Africa to honor its 20-year-old agreement with the US and extradite Manuel Chang.

He’s wanted in the US for his part in a one-point-two-billion dollar fraud involving the purchase of fishing boats and surveillance vessels.

South Africa’s foreign minister Lindiwe Sisulu said in an interview with a website news blog that the easiest thing for everyone would be to return Chang to Mozambique once the court in Kempton Park has dispensed with the US extradition request.  

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Making this assertion, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu welcomes last week’s talks between the government of Western Sahara and the kingdom of Morocco that occupied the territory since 1975 in defiance of the international community.

The United Nations Special Envoy on Western Sahara Horst Koehler has expressed cautious optimism on the Geneva talks.

The Western Sahara government and kingdom of Morocco were directed by the UN Security Council to break six years of silent stand off and engage constructively, showing political will.

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu says South Africa wants a just, lasting, mutually acceptable solution in Western Sahara that will provide for self-determination. 

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She says the deep and historic ties between south Africa and Russia should be the basis for strong economic relations growing bilateral trade.

Together with Russia’s Natural Resources Minister Dimitry Kobylkin, South Africa’s foreign minister Lindiwe Sisulu chaired the 15th session of the intergovernmental committee on trade and economic cooperation.

Sisulu had a bilateral meeting with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

They discussed Palestine, democratic governance on the African continent, South Africa’s rotating seat on the United Nations Security Council and growing the economic partnership between the countries and increasing Russian investment in South Africa. 

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