Bush to Arrive in S. Africa on Tuesday Night

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, July 08, 2003

Bush to Arrive in S. Africa on Tuesday Night

US President George W. Bush is to arrive at Waterkloof Air Force base outside Pretoria, executive capital of South African, late on Tuesday night for a brief official visit to the country.

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US President George W. Bush is to arrive at Waterkloof Air Force base outside Pretoria, executive capital of South African, late on Tuesday night for a brief official visit to the country.

Bush will be accompanied by his Secretary of State Colin Powelland Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Walter Kansteiner, according to the South African Press Association on Monday.

Senior officials in the Bush delegation include National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card.

Bush will be received by foreign affairs chief of protocol Billy Modise.

South African Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma might form part of the welcoming party, officials said.

"As yet, it is not clear whether she will be able to leave the African Union summit in Maputo in time."

Bush will be formally welcomed at a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria around 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) on Wednesday.

South African presidential spokesman Bheki Khumalo said President Thabo Mbeki and Bush would hold one-on-one talks for about an hour.

They would then go into broader bilateral discussions for aboutanother hour.

This session would, among others, also be attended by Powell, Kansteiner, Rice, Card and Dlamini-Zuma.

Afterwards, the two presidents would address the media at the Presidential Guest House. Mbeki would then host a luncheon for Bush in the Guest House.

Mbeki would leave for the AU summit after the luncheon, Khumalosaid.

However, several organizations, including the African National Congress, the South African Communist Party, and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), intend staging demonstrationsagainst the Bush visit.

South African Police spokesman Senior Superintendent Selby Bokaba said this group had been granted permission for a march on the US embassy from 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) to 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Wednesday.

COSATU spokesman Patrick Craven said protesters would highlighttheir opposition to US foreign policy on Iraq, Cuba, Iran, Syria, and Palestine.

Bokaba said the organizers expected 10,000 people to take part in the demonstration.

Information about Bush's movements in South Africa for the restof Wednesday could not be obtained on Monday.

The talks between Bush and Mbeki were expected to focus on a range of issues, South African cabinet ministers said in the past few days.

These included the Zimbabwean crisis, other trouble spots in Africa, the situation in Iraq, peace efforts in the Middle East, and economic issues.

Bush is to arrive in Pretoria from Senegal, the first stop on his African tour. Next on his itinerary are Botswana, Uganda and Nigeria.

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