S. Africa, US Sign Development AgreementSouth Africa and the United States Thursday, December 14, signed a development cooperation agreement, under which the US government will continue its "betterment assistance" to South Africa.South African Deputy Finance Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa and US Ambassador to South Africa, Delano Lewis, endorsed the agreement at the National Treasury in Pretoria, the South African Press Association reported. The signing ceremony indicated the good relations that existed between the two countries, Mpahlwa said. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has in this year granted the South African government more than 200 million rand (US$26 million), with another 150 million rand (US$19.5 million) coming from non-governmental organizations. The US government would continue to support key development areas in South Africa through the USAID, Lewis said. He said development programs for South Africa were drawn up in close collaboration with the South African government through annual consultations. "Since my arrival in South Africa one year ago, my team and I have used every available occasion to deepen our bilateral ties," he said, claiming that South Africa's goal to improve the lives of disadvantaged communities was also America's goal. According to the agreement, critical areas of development to be focused on next year include sustainable job creation, strengthening the criminal justice system, expanding HIV/AIDS prevention, education and small business development. On his side, Mpahlwa said the South African government was encouraged by the support because it was important for South Africa to have a vibrant civil society structure. |
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