South African President Jacob Zuma will make his first state visit in his new position to Angola, Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane announced Friday during a visit to Luanda.

"The first state visit of President Zuma outside of South Africa will be to Angola and this will take place before Christmas," said the after having met Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos.

South Africa hoped to strengthen economic, technical, scientific and cultural ties with its southern African neighbour, a fellow member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Angola's ruling MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) has long been a supporter of the ANC (African National Congress).

The movements forged close relations when both were waging anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggles respectively against the previous regimes.

Dos Santos attended Zuma's inauguration in Pretoria earlier this month and last year the former South African president Thabo Mbeki made an official visit to Luanda to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe with Dos Santos.

Sapa

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