CAPE TOWN: The leaders of Africa’s two biggest economies, South Africa and Nigeria, pledged closer ties yesterday in what was hailed as a milestone in a sometime patchy relationship.
President Jacob Zuma rolled out the red carpet for his counterpart Goodluck Jonathan as ministers signed nine pacts covering oil and gas, power, defence and communication.
“South Africa and Nigeria are critical countries,” said Jonathan, who is on the first state visit to South Africa by any Nigerian leader since 2009.
“If the continent of Africa must move forward, then the world (will) expect maximum cooperation between South Africa and Nigeria and we’re just doing that.”
Saluting each other as “brother”, the two leaders pointed to a new path for the continental powerhouses as Zuma described the trip as a “historic state visit”.
“We are very pleased with the outcomes of our discussions, they do mark a higher level of cooperation between the two countries.”
Jonathan’s visit comes on the heels of a trip last month by Zuma to Lagos.
The South African leader yesterday hailed Nigeria’s support for the southern nation’s anti-apartheid struggle.
“We have a duty to take these historical relations further,” he said.
Zuma also stressed the need for an African Union standby force “for rapid deployment in crisis areas without delays”.
“The need for an intervention brigade has become more crucial in light of the sites of instability in the Central African Republic, the eastern DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Mali where decisive intervention is needed.”
The state visit was hailed as a positive step in bilateral ties which have faced many rocky patches and frequent rivalries.
“Nigeria and South Africa must come together, must work together, to help the continent of Africa,” said Jonathan.
“Because whether we like it or not... if we refuse to cooperate... we will be considered as failures.”
While South Africa is still the continent’s biggest economy, Nigerian business activity is set to grow more than twice as fast, by 7.2 percent, this year, according to International Monetary Fund estimates. AFP
