South Africa Peace Conference is cancelled
The conveners of the South Africa Peace Conference have decided to postpone the conference that was to have been held at the Constitution Hill on Friday 27 March 2009 as a result of the controversy surrounding the participation of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
Every care was taken by the conveners in ensuring a timeous and careful following of a process of invitations, confirmations and logistical arrangements involving all stakeholders. The conference guidelines to the participants clearly stipulated that the only purpose of their visit to South Africa would be for the purposes of participation in the conference and not any other public engagements as these could take away from the purpose for which the conference was intended. From the conceptualisation through the planning and invitation right up to the logistical protocol phase the conveners ensured the relevant state organs were fully briefed and involved.
The conveners now know from the government that each time an invitation is extended to a high profile foreign visitor, on receipt of the visa application, the invitee becomes a visitor of the state. In processing of the visa application by the Dalai Lama the South African government persuaded the Dalai Lama to postpone his visit to South Africa at this stage. “This was done for fear that his attendance will take away from the intended purpose of the peace conference, letting it to be hijacked by the Tibet issue” said Thabo Masebe - spokesperson for the Presidency.
Given that the purpose of the conference is peace, the conveners do not wish to put the Nobel Peace Committee under circumstances that would create conflict between the committee and its laureates. The conveners have therefore decided - in the spirit of peace - to postpone the South Africa Peace Conference to ensure it is held under conducive conditions.
The conveners wish to thank the President of the Republic of South Africa Kgalema Motlanthe for inviting the Nobel Peace Committee to South Africa. The South African Nobel Laureates - Presidents Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk; and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu for jointly inviting their counterparts from around the world. Chief Mandla Mandela for prioritising the peace conference in the exhaustive list of his engagements. SAFA President Dr. Molefi Oliphant for his leadership and counsel. The Royal Bafokeng - especially Kgosi - for providing financial support. Messrs. Kjetil Siem, Ace Ncobo and Kholiswa Fulumeni for working tirelessly and diligently through the logistics required to make the conference a success.
Issued by: Conveners of the South Africa Peace Conference
