Kingston Forges Ties with South African City
By: , November 6, 2014The Key Point:
The Facts
- Kingston’s Mayor, Her Worship, Senator Councillor Angela Brown Burke, and Tshwane’s Executive Mayor, His Worship, Councillor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, are slated to sign a Memorandum of Understanding.
- Mr. Ramokgopa is currently in Jamaica on a five-day working visit, along with a delegation from the Tshwane City Council, as guests of the KSAC.
The Full Story
The cities of Kingston, and Tshwane in South Africa, are moving to collaborate on several areas of mutual interest, including sports, local governance, research, development, and innovation.
Kingston’s Mayor, Her Worship, Senator Councillor Angela Brown Burke, and Tshwane’s Executive Mayor, His Worship, Councillor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, are slated to sign a Memorandum of Understanding at the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC), downtown Kingston, on Wednesday, November 5, to facilitate technical cooperation in the areas.
Mr. Ramokgopa is currently in Jamaica on a five-day working visit, along with a delegation from the Tshwane City Council, as guests of the KSAC.
This follows Senator Brown Burke’s visit to Tshwane last year, en route to the biennial Commonwealth Local Government Forum in Uganda. The visit was initiated by South African High Commissioner to Jamaica, Her Excellency Mathu Joyini.
Mayor Ramokgopa’s visit also coincides with the 20th anniversary commemoration of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Jamaica and South Africa, consequent on the institution of democracy in the African country.
Mayor Ramokgopa, who addressed Tuesday’s (November 4) launch of the KSAC’s inaugural Civic and Community Awards, at the Council’s Chambers, welcomed the opportunity for both countries to collaborate on the areas highlighted and others that would rise during the course of the visit.
“It is important that we are able to collaborate…and learn from each other, with regards to best practice. I really want to express our deepest appreciation that (we) can begin a journey of what will hopefully be a fruitful and enduring relationship, and (that) the maturation of this relationship will, hopefully, benefit the ordinary citizens of both Kingston and…Tshwane,” he said.
Senator Brown Burke said the engagement between the municipalities is intended to build a tangible relationship “beyond some (aspects) of the traditional twinning arrangements that just remain on paper.”
“We were both committed that, coming out of (this) relationship (will) be…things that we could actually (accomplish), certainly, in our lifetime,” she said.