SL delegation meets President Zuma and top TRC negotiators

by Manjula Fernando

The hi-profile official delegation that left for South Africa last Thursday and will report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on how the South African model of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission can be adopted in Sri Lanka to strengthen its reconciliation process, External Affairs Ministry Additional Secretary, Rodney Perera said .

SA President Jacob Zuma

Special envoy to Sri Lanka Cyril Ramphosa

Former SA Defence Minister Roelf Meyer

Deputy Minister Faiszer Musthapha

MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena

Minister Douglas Devananda

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva

The team led by Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and included Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda, Investment Promotion Deputy Minister Faiszer Musthapha, External Affairs Ministry Monitoring MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, and Organizer of the SLFP for Batticaloa district Arun Thambimuttu was tasked to hold discussions with the South African special envoy to Sri Lanka Cyril Ramphosa with the aim of understanding the highly acclaimed Truth Commission experience. They were also expected to meet the Government and ruling African National Congress leaders as well as intellectuals during their two- day exercise.

The Sri Lankan delegation met President Jacob Zuma, International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim and Special Envoy Ramphosa on the first day of the visit, Monitoring MP Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena from Cape Town told the Sunday Observer.

Cyril Ramphosa Deputy President of the African National Congress (ANC) was appointed South Africa's Special Envoy to Sri Lanka to assist in initiatives for 'bringing about peace and reconciliation', the External Affairs Ministry said. The appointment which was announced by South African President Jacob Zuma in his 6th state of the nation address a week ago has been made considering Ramphosa's expertise in conflict resolution and negotiations.

The External Affairs Ministry appreciated Ramphosa's appointment and said that the move strenghtened the relationship between Sri Lanka and South Africa.'

Ramphosa is widely respected as a skillful negotiator and a strategist, he played a crucial role during the negotiations to bring a peaceful end to apartheid leading the first democratic elections in South Africa in April 1994.

Deputy Minister Ebrahim and Roelf Meyer, who was the head of delegation which represented the ruling national party at the negotiations with ANC to end apartheid, visited Sri Lanka earlier to discuss the grounds for sharing reconciliation strategies and the process of the Truth Commission. Perera said this initiative was a result of the recent discussions between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and South African President Jacob Zuma during CHOGM in Colombo last November.

When the South African President called on President Rajapaksa, the latter expressed a desire to learn about the model of South African restorative justice to heal wounds of Sri Lanka's conflict. He said he was interested in knowing more about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, its process and the outcome. It was President Zuma who suggested the exchange of delegations to initiate the process.

External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris has continued the dialogue on this matter with his South African counterpart Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. The visit by the high level Sri Lankan delegation to South Africa is a result of these interactions."The situation prevailed in South Africa was different to our challenges. Theirs was a minority government whereas our fight was with a listed terrorist outfit," Perera said adding that the objective is to learn from the South African experience as to how Sri Lankan reconciliation process can be strengthened.

The delegation which left for South Africa on Wednesday morning will return to the country today (Sunday).