MPUMALANGA school children could soon be learning Portuguese as part of a government initiative to strengthen business ties between South Africa and Mozambique. The initiative, already ratified by authorities in Mpumalanga and Maputo provinces, will also see Mozambican children learning English as a 'second language'. The two provinces, which share a 200km border, have earmarked joint tourism, infrastructure and cross-border trade projects in a bid to revitalise the R25bn Maputo Corridor initiative. The Maputo Corridor, spearheaded by former Mpumalanga premier Mathews Phosa, has already resulted in the construction of the R2bn N4 toll road between Johannesburg and Maputo harbour, as well as linked rail and communication upgrades. Mpumalanga has, however, failed to realise similar successes. An independent Canadian government study into the issue two years ago blamed current Mpumalanga premier Ndaweni Mahlangu for among others, under-funding corridor related initiatives and downgrading bilateral relations. Mahlangu has recently attempted to reform this perception, calling for corridor-related foreign investment and signing a comprehensive memorandum of understanding with his Maputo counterpart in November 2001. The Portuguese/English language initiative forms part of this new drive for joint development strategies. (African Eye News Service)
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