South African President Thabo Mbeki will pay an official visit to Uganda on December 12-14 at the invitation of President Yoweri Museveni, according to Ofwono Opondo, spokesman of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Opondo was quoted by state-owned weekly Sunday Vision as saying that during the three-day visit, Mbeki will address a special session of cabinet and of parliament on continental and global issues.

Opondo said Mbeki would be accompanied by a 70-strong delegation of policy makers and business people, who are to sign various memoranda on investment with their Ugandan counterparts.

He said that the South African president will be here on the eve of Museveni's nomination for the 2006 presidential election.

Opondo said NRM's National Executive Committee (NEC) will be holding a special meeting during the day when Mbeki arrives.

The NEC is made up of all the candidates who have gone through the party primaries and district chairpersons.

Opondo said Mbeki's visit was very important, because it showed that many countries, and particularly the South African government, had confidence in the on-going political process in Uganda.

South Africa is currently Uganda's biggest source of foreign development investment. Mbeki had visited Uganda in October 2004 for the independence celebrations.

Source: Xinhua