Deputy President Paul Mashatile will on Tuesday welcome His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, on a courtesy call at the OR Tambo Official Residence in Pretoria.
The Duke of Edinburgh is on a working visit to South Africa on 22 and 23 January 2024.
According to the Deputy President’s Office, the visit follows the successful State Visit that President Cyril Ramaphosa undertook to the United Kingdom in 2022 at the invitation of King Charles III.
“The visit also indicates the strong bilateral relationship that the United Kingdom and South Africa share,” a statement from the Deputy President’s Office read.
During his visit, His Royal Highness will meet stakeholders from WWF South Africa, Endangered Wildlife Trust, GreenMatterZA, TRAFFIC, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Birdlife, and Conservation South Africa.
Prince Edward will also meet the Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy, for a tour of the Pretoria National Botanical Garden.
He will be accompanied on the tour by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) CEO, Shonisani Munzhedi.
This comes after President Ramaphosa visited the Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, in November 2022, and will trace the long-term collaboration between Kew and SANBI to ensure the survival of South Africa’s wealthy plant diversity.
Prince Edward is also expected to engage with Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande at a dinner marking the deep partnership between South Africa and the United Kingdom in the field of science and innovation.
In addition, the Duke of Edinburgh will meet the awardees of the President’s Awards, the international arm of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, of which President Ramaphosa is a patron.
“Both countries share a strong commitment to youth empowerment,” the statement said.
During the courtesy call, Deputy President Mashatile will also hold discussions with the Duke and his delegation on key areas of importance in the bilateral relationship between South Africa and the United Kingdom. – SAnews.gov.za