Ahern to meet President Mbeki

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is due to meet President Thabo Mbeki today on the second day of his week-long visit to South Africa and Tanzania.

Mr Ahern is leading a trade mission to the region involving more than 50 Irish firms, as well as officials from the IDA and Enterprise Ireland.

The delegation is in Pretoria and Johannesburg today, where the Taoiseach will be seeking to promote Ireland as a trading partner and a tourism destination.

He will also visit a township near Pretoria to see a hospice run by a Belfast priest with financial support from the Irish Government.