US president George W. Bush will host South African President Thabo Mbeki next month to discuss bilateral relations and the situation in Africa, the White House has announced. “The two leaders will discuss the scope and future of the bilateral relationship between the United States and South Africa,” White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said in a statement, adding that the meeting will take place on June 26. US Secretary of State Colin Powell met with Mbeki in Pretoria earlier Thursday and said that he admired “the leadership he has given to South Africa and to the region.” – AFP