South Africa honoured at Schaffer Banquet 

Premier Helen Zille -Western Cape Province- sings the golden guest book – Picture by Bremer Senats pressestelle.

Friday, 8 February 2019, Free Hanseatic City of Bremen: South African 7th Premier of Western Cape Province, Helen Zille and the Premier of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, were the guests of honour at this year’s Schaffer Banquet held traditionally at Bremen’s City Hall the second Friday of each February. 

The feast is arranged by the Foundation Haus Seefahrt (House Seefare), and encompasses the participation of 100 captains, 100 sailors and 100 guests that gather to fund-raise for the latter foundation as well as to celebrate seafarers. 

Premier Helen Zille was in  Germany for a follow-up call to the trade visit that Bremen’s President and Governing Mayor and the city-state’s chamber of commerce undertook to South Africa in the summer of 2018 (https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2018/06/27/bremen-delegation-to-south-africa-and-namibia/).

Other prominent guests included AIRBUS President Guillaume Faury, the German Ambassador to South Africa, Dr. Martin Schäfer, artist Prof. Markus Lüppertz, and the Premier of the Free State of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, main guest of honour. 

The Schaffer Banquet is the oldest of its kind worldwide, bringing together the brotherhood extant between seafarers and merchants. 

For further information 
Schaffer banquet: https://www.schaffermahlzeit.de/de/home/

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On the image: Premier Helen Zille (Western Cape Province in South Africa) sings the golden guestbook as Dr. Martin Schäfer, German Ambassador to South Africa, the President and Governing Mayor of Bremen, Dr. Carsten Sieling, the latter’s spouse, Alexia Sieling, Honorary Consul Volker Schütte (South Africa), AIRBUS President Guillaume Faury and Premier of Saxony Michael Kretschmer.