When South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reports for duty at tomorrow’s Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit on Mozambique his team will not include Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
The defence and military veterans minister, docked three month’s salary by the Commander-in-Chief for apparently unauthorised use of a SA Air Force (SAAF) aircraft to and from Harare to discuss regional security matters with her Zimbabwean counterpart in September last year, is not one of Ramaphosa’s chosen associates for the next round of talks on Mozambique’s problems.
Ramaphosa will be joined on Inkwazi, the SAAF BBJ, by ministers Naledi Pandor (International Relations and Co-operation) and Ayanda Dlodlo (State Security) for the summit on the heels of two days of preparatory meetings in the Mozambican capital Maputo.
This will be the third summit in the East African country where SADC leaders will seek solutions to, among others, the Islamist insurgency in Cabo Delgado which has halted construction of a multi-billion dollar gas facility; seen towns, villages and a port seized as well as displacing thousands of Mozambicans fleeing fighting and violence.
While there is no indication of specific agenda items the summit will, according to a SADC advisory, discuss terrorism.
