Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat was among 15 heads of state expected to attend the UN World Conference against Racism in Durban, a South African government official said.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Mr Ronnie Mamoepa said Mr Arafat, together with Cuban president Mr Fidel Castro and Mr Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo were some of the leaders expected at the event, starting on Friday.
The presence of Mr Arafat reflected the importance of the Isreali-Palestinian issue, which has already stirred heated debate here.
The United States announced this week that Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell would not be attending the conference because of anti-Israeli language in the program, in particular in a draft declaration by non-governmental organisations.
The NGO document called for the declaration of Israel as "an apartheid, racist and fascist state".
Washington indicated it may send a low-level delegation or simply boycott the whole event.
AFP