Wednesday, January 6, 1999 Published at 16:03 GMT
Blair visit faces Muslim protests
Deputy Prime Minister Aziz Pahad welcomed Mr Blair in Pretoria
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has arrived in South Africa at the start of a visit expected to be dominated by trade and investment issues.
But as well as meeting President Mandela and the man expected to succeed him, Thabo Mbeki, Mr Blair will also face protests from a number of organisations.
And as the centenary of the Boer War approaches, an Afrikaner nationalist group has also called on Mr Blair to apologise for Britain's waging war on Afrikaners.
"We don't agree with the bombing of Iraq and we are disgusted at the killing of innocent women and children," Mago spokesman Moaim Achmad said.
"We will follow Blair wherever he goes, we will have placard demonstrations and our people in Gauteng (province) and Durban will do the same when he is there."
"We want to make it clear that all British and Americans in our country are not welcome here, they are unwanted," Mail spokesman Abduragmaan Khan said.
Afrikaners seek apology
Calls for an apology for the 1899 - 1902 Boer War have come from the Reformed National Party (HNP) - a small, far-right group which broke away from the ruling National Party during the apartheid era.
HNP leader Jaap Marais demanded "a full apology, and Blair must express his remorse over what happened."
Approached by a South African newspaper to comment on the demands, Mr Blair's office said Britain would approach the anniversary in a spirit of "reconciliation and true friendship"
The Boer War, or Second Freedom War as it is known to Afrikaners, was fought between the Boers - descendents of 17th Century Dutch settlers who had occupied the interior of South Africa - and the British, who had colonised the coastal areas.
Afrikaner resentment has focussed on the deaths of thousands of Boer women and children in British internment camps.
Farewell to Mandela
Mr Blair hopes to finalise defence deals worth £1bn, and also announce a new investment and aid package for both South Africa and the continent as a whole.
The already strong trade links between the two countries could be bolstered by up to £4bn of extra British investment, said officials.
President Mandela will receive the detailed background to Britain's decision to join the US in raids on Iraq.
The prime minister will then go on to visit the RAF crews in Kuwait who played a crucial role in the raids.