Charlestown Nevis (February 2nd 2007)
South Africa’s new High Commissioner to Caricom States and Ambassador to Haiti, her Excellency, Faith Doreen Radebe, continued her round of official familiarization visits to the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis when she visited Nevis on Thursday February 1, 2007. While on the island she paid courtesy calls on Premier the Honorable Joseph Parry at his Bath Plain office.
In welcoming the South African Ambassador, Mr. Parry said he was looking forward to a growing relationship between South Africa and the continent of Africa, and the Caribbean, and in particular St. Kitts and Nevis. “This is a good move and I hope to see other African countries doing this and I would also hope to see the Caribbean countries represented in Africa”, the Premier said.The Premier said that the visit by the South African Envoy brought back strong memories of the past because of the Federation’s common colonial past with Africa.
“It seems to me that she is enjoying the visit and I am very happy for that. She said to me that there are so many people who look like family and sometimes they are tempted to speak in their native language when they see the people and I do understand that feeling because just looking at them you can’t tell they are Africans, they could be West Indians”
Following the visit with Premier Parry, in an interview with the Department of Information the newly appointed High Commissioner and Ambassador Designate, said that the purpose of her visit was to pay courtesy calls on the Deputy Governor General, His Honor, Mr. Eustace John and the Premier of Nevis, in her quest to strengthen the relationship between the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and South Africa.
She thanked the people of the Federation for their warm welcome and hospitality which reminded her of the historical/spiritual past they shared.
“Coming from Africa and meeting the people who were taken from Africa to be residents in the Caribbean it brings some warmth that I’m meeting my own people,” she said.
Before a brief tour of Nevis, earlier that day, the South African Envoy also called on Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, the Honorable Malcolm Guishard.
The South African Ambassador was accompanied by her husband, Mr. Jabu Radebe and First Secretary, Mpho Mminele. The delegation returned to St. Kitts later that day and departed the Federation on Friday February 2nd.