South African reconciliation process resumes under new govt
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
SLMC Leader and Urban Development Minister Rauff Hakeem yesterday urged South Africa to continue to support post-war peace and national reconciliation
Minister Hakeem told a visiting South African delegation that silence of weapons didn’t mean peace. Minister Hakeem said that the country couldn’t achieve genuine peace unless a political solution acceptable to all communities was worked out.
The South African peace initiative got underway during the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure after the conclusion of the war in May 2009. The four-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the UK-based Global Tamil Forum (GTF), too, had been involved in the project.
The South African delegation led by Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ms. Nomaindia Mfeketo met Hakeem at Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo on Wednesday(25th).
Well informed sources told The Island that they had discussed how South Africa could facilitate the ongoing reconciliation efforts and nation building process.
South African High Commissioner to India accredited to Sri Lanka G.Q.M. Doidge joined the discussion.
Sources pointed out that Hakeem had been involved in the South African initiative in his previous capacity as the Justice
Minister. Deputy Minister Ms. Nomaindia Mfeketo reiterated South Africa’s commitment to help Sri Lanka achieve lasting peace. During the course of the discussion, Ms. Mfeketo said that their primary objective was to ascertain the outcome of the visit undertaken by Deputy President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. The top South politician visited Colombo in July last year. Ramaphoma met both government and TNA leaders.
In an obvious reference to the recently concluded presidential election, Minister Hakeem said that the Sri Lankans had taken a major step in the direction of restoring democracy and the polls outcome should help confidence building measures among the communities.
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