Pretoria - National Planning Commission Minister Trevor Manuel is to assist President Jacob Zuma in his duties in the African Union (AU), said the Presidency.
Manuel will help the President in his responsibility as the AU's champion of the North- South infrastructure development corridor on the continent. This as the AU has given several Heads of State and government as champions of infrastructure projects in the information and communication technologies, transport, energy, water and agriculture sectors.
Zuma has been appointed as the champion of the road and rail links between the North and Southern parts of the continent.
The NEPAD High Level Sub-Committee on Infrastructure comprises Heads of State and Government from South Africa, Algeria, Benin, Egypt, Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal.
"Minister Manuel and I will work closely together to ensure that South Africa fulfils its continental responsibilities on infrastructure, which have to be championed from the Presidency. We trust that we will be able to mobilise the private sector to work with us on this massive but very important project.
"We have the enormous task of promoting tangible action, and have to mobilise resources for the development of infrastructure in the continent. The time has come to move beyond conceptualisation to concrete projects," said Zuma.
