Minister Des Van Rooyen delivered a keynote address at the celebration of the Independence Day of India in Pretoria
The Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, honourable Des van Rooyen attended the celebration of the 70th Independence Day of the Republic of India held at the Embassy in Pretoria on 15 August 2015. The Minister addressed the celebration attended by a range of guests that included representatives from government, the diplomatic community and other structures in South Africa.
The Minister congratulated the embassy of India on behalf of President Jacob Zuma, the Government and people of South Africa for reaching this important milestone. “On this truly remarkable occasion, I am honoured to celebrate this auspicious day with the High Commission of India in South Africa, given the warm, fraternal and historical relations, which exist between South Africa and India”, said Minister van Rooyen.
The Minister recognised the role played by India in assisting the people of South Africa to fight for liberation and freedom, especially through the isolation of the Apartheid Government internationally. He also indicated that the attainment of independence by India in 1947 provided encouragement to and became a guiding light for those on the Continent of Africa, as well as elsewhere in the world, in the fight against colonialism and for independence.
In his address, Minister van Rooyen recognised the role of the great Mahatma Gandhi whose stay in South Africa not only had an impact on resistance to the Apartheid Regime, but was also the beginning of the evolution of his own philosophy of Satyagraha and Ahimsa (pressure for social and political reform through passive resistance), which influenced the political path of India towards independence.
The Minister said, “Gandhi’s philosophy and teachings also impacted on the liberation struggle in South Africa and were an inspiration for millions of South Africans, as witnessed by the mobilisation during the 1952 defiance campaign”.
Our two countries shares the ideas and ideals that were espoused by the two icons of the twentieth century, the founding father of our democracy, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, and their influence on the world and on the courses of history of our respective countries.
This relationship between South Africa and India have grown as the two countries enjoy cordial bilateral relations that are structured via a Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) and Foreign Office Consultations. The Minister also emphasised the importance of the recent official visit by Prime Minister Modi last month which served to deepen the strong bilateral links between the two countries.
To this effect, trade and investment ties have also grown steadily over the last decade with bilateral trade reaching the R94 billion mark in 2015. The leading sectors for South Africa’s investment in the Indian market were the financial sector, business machines and equipment, and software and IT services.
Close cooperation between two countries also takes place within a number of multilateral groupings including BRICS, the India-Brazil-South Africa mechanism (IBSA), the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), within the G20, as well as in the different structures of the United Nations. President Zuma will also lead the South African delegation to the 8th BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in Goa in October later this year.
The Minister concluded by indicating that as part of his Ministerial duties he will be visiting India next week to honour the invitation of the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Rajnath Singh to take part in the Second Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Disaster Management in Udaipur, Rajasthan. “I look forward to visiting your beautiful country and playing my role in strengthening our relations”, said Minister van Rooyen.
In conclusion, the Minister expressed sincere and warmest congratulations and best wishes to the government and the people of India as they celebrate this important milestone, 70th Anniversary of their Independence.
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