Brussels - South African President
Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday he could
understand why the violence accompanying miners' strikes in SA could
worry international investors but the country's swift response should
give them comfort.
Zuma spoke after a European Union-South
Africa summit meeting in Brussels at which few if any specific
agreements were made. At a joint news conference, Zuma and top EU
officials praised the state of relations between the bloc and South
Africa in broad terms and expressed hope for future agreements.
Asked
by a journalist about the effect of the unrest on international
investors, Zuma said the August 15 police shooting of miners in
Marikana, in which 34 people were killed, was an "unfortunate" incident.
"Certainly, if such a situation happens, it must bring concern, particularly to investors," Zuma said.
"I
believe that the manner in which we have swiftly attended to the
situation, and we are now in full control - that must give comfort to
investors," he said.
He mentioned the establishment of a
judicial commission of inquiry charged with determining what happened,
and stressed that South Africa was a stable democracy committed to the
rule of law.
"I think South Africa remains a destination for investment," he said.
Both
sides expressed hope that a trade agreement would eventually be
negotiated between the 27-country EU and Sadac, the 15-country Southern
African Development Community.
The EU already has a trade
agreement with South Africa. And South Africa, as Sadac's economically
strongest member, will have a major say in whether a wider agreement is
reached.
The officials also said they would deepen their cooperation in fighting piracy off the coast of Africa.
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