Morocco's crown prince attends Mbeki's swearing-in ceremony

Moroccan Crown Prince Sidi Mohammed headed this Tuesday for South Africa to represent King Hassan II at the swearing-in ceremony of South African President-elect Thabo Mbeki.

The crown prince, who will also attend the farewell ceremony of former President Nelson Mandela, is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Mohamed Benaissa, Minister of Higher Education Najib Zerouali and other personalities.

Mbeki, the unanimous choice of South Africa's second democratically-elected government, will take over from Nelson Mandela, his mentor for the past five years.

Mbeki, 56, has effectively been running the country for the past three years as Mandela's deputy and was one of the architects of the government's Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy, which sets strict economic performance targets.

In a message of congratulations from King Hassan II to the president-elect Mbeki wherein he voiced determination to endeavor "to consolidate the ties of friendship, mutual respect and fruitful cooperation" existing between the two countries. The king said that he seizes the opportunity to hail the qualities of clearsightedness, perseverance, wisdom and statesmanship of "our friend Nelson Mandela who devoted his life to the struggle for freedom, peace, reconciliation of the friendly people of south Africa, the establishment of the rule of the law and the consolidation of African brotherhood."