S. Africa ready to host AU Summit: minister

South Africa has made all arrangements and created conducive conditions for a productive and most successful African Union (AU) Summit, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said here on Monday.

The 25th AU summit will be under the theme "Year of Women empowerment and Development towards Africa's Agenda 2063".

Nkoana-Mashabane said at a press briefing that her country is ready to host dozens of African heads of state and hundreds of dignitaries attending the summit.

"South Africa is ready to welcome the AU and the leaders of the continent. We have made available all necessary arrangements for fruitful discussions.

"We are ready as a country to also take up our seat amongst the other member states of the AU and make a contribution towards a united, prosperous, peaceful, democratic, nonracial and non-sexist Africa," the minister said.

She said the summit will give the AU time to reflect on how far it has gone towards achieving the continental body's founding objectives that include attaining unity, peace, socioeconomic integration and working with relevant international partners in the eradication of preventable diseases and promotion of good health on the continent.

The minister said the summit will discuss a variety of ways to eradicate poverty in most of the African countries.

"There is no way you can eradicate poverty if you do not take the agenda of radical economic transformation. That is why one of the key objectives of this summit is to look at the progress being made in integrating African economies through infrastructure development.

"We will also discuss how to resource our young people by providing them with skills required for the industrialization of the continent. To achieve this objective, the beneficiation of our natural resources will be key in the discussions of the summit," said Nkoana-Mashabane.

She the AU is facing a great challenge of funding its programs without looking for external help.

Mashabane said, "We believe when we conclude this meeting, we should be able to say this is the basket of options that we have put on the table to make it possible for African states to be able to contribute towards funding their own programmes."

On the international front, Mashabane said the reformation of the United Nations (UN) and its organs will top the agenda.

"It is expected that the AU will use the occasion of the 25th Summit to reintegrate the call for the UN to reform, paying particular attention on the role and level of representation of African states in the UN system," said Nkoana-Mashabane.

The Minister denied allegations that some African countries were boycotting the summit because of the recent xenophobic violence that took place in the country.

She said, "The reports we are receiving is that the majority of the heads of states will be attending the summit."

"We have also received confirmation that all AU member states will be represented, so there is no boycotting of the AU summit in South Africa." Endi