Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva is to tour South Africa next week, government sources said. The main purpose of the visit it is learnt would be to study the South African reconciliation process.

The Sunday Divina newspaper has reported in its lead story that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has turned down a request made by South African Deputy Foreign Minister Ibrahim to grant permission to help Sri Lanka in its reconciliation process. The President had turned down the request since Ibrahim has close links with the Global Tamil Forum that operates from London and since the Forum could intervene in Sri Lanka’s reconciliation process through Ibrahim.

However, the news report now seems to look like a fabrication of the journalist since Minister de Silva is to tour South Africa on a Presidential directive to meet with the African National Congress (ANC) and study the country’s reconciliation process.