SEPANG, Aug 26- Republic of South Africa President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma arrived at the KL International Airport here Sunday to begin a three-day official visit to Malaysia.
Zuma, who was elected president in 2009, was greeted upon arrival at the airport’s Kompleks Bunga Raya at 5.15pm, by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin and Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainudin.
He is accompanied by his wife, Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma, cabinet ministers, senior government officials and business associates.
The purpose of the visit is to strengthen the existing good bilateral relations between the two countries.
While in Putrajaya, Zuma is scheduled to hold a four-eyed meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, and later hold a bilateral meeting.
The president is also scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the Malaysia-South Africa Business Forum while Najib will host an official dinner in his honour.
Zuma, who will be conferred an honorary doctorate for Leadership in Humanity by LimKokWing University of Creative Technology, will also attend briefings by Felda and Iris Corporation.
Zuma is also scheduled to receive, on behalf of former South Africa president Nelson Mandela, a Lifetime Campaigner for Global Peace Award by the Mahathir Global Peace Foundation.
This is his first visit to Malaysia since Zuma assumed the South African presidency in 2009, although he was in Malaysia back in 1999 and 2002 to attend the Langkawi International Dialogue, and in 2003 to join the World Peace Conference in his capacity as deputy president.
This fourth visit to Malaysia clearly reflects the warm bilateral relations between the two countries.
Zuma’s wife is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and later visit the PERMATA Pintar centre.
– BERNAMA
