ANC Formally Approves Moves In Lanka

Sunday, September 28, 2014

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has formally approved efforts of the South African Government to mediate in Sri Lanka, South African media reports said.

ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe told reporters in Johannesburg that the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) agreed to support government initiatives and the special envoys appointed to facilitate peace processes in Lesotho, South Sudan and Sri Lanka.

Deputy South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was in Sri Lanka in July this year and met President Mahinda Rajapaksa for talks on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Deputy President Ramaphosa visited the country in his capacity as Special Envoy of President Zuma on Sri Lanka. In this regard, South Africa has been invited by the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil National Alliance to share South Africa’s experiences on lessons learnt from South Africa’s truth and reconciliation commission as an integral part of our negotiated political settlement.

In pursuance of this objective, Deputy President Ramaphosa met with various political leaders and delegations, including the Minister of External Affairs, Professor GL Peiris, and The Leader of the opposition Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leadership of the Tamil National Alliance, the Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council, Mr C. Wigneswaran and Governor of the Northern Province Major General G.A Chandrasiri.