French President Nicolas Sarkozy wrapped up a two-day official visit to South Africa Friday with multimillion dollar investment deals and an emotional trip to Robben island and its most famous former inmate, Nelson Mandela, according to The Associated Press. French engineering company Alstom on Friday signed a deal worth ¤1.36 billion (about US$2 billion) to equip a new coal power station for South Africa, as Sarkozy vowed to help South Africa overcome its acute electricity shortage. A team of French engineers will arrive next week to advise the government and state utility Eskom on possible solutions to the electricity shortage, which has seriously disrupted the vital mining sector, he said. French nuclear reactor constructor Areva has bid against Westinghouse of the United States for the contract to build a second nuclear reactor in South Africa. Sarkozy, who took office last May, outlined in a speech to the South African parliament Thursday his hopes for a new and more open era in relations between France _ which is still often regarded with suspicion for propping up corrupt governments in its former colonies _ and Africa.
