Today, PM Narendra Modi will meet South African President Jacob Zuma on the second leg of an African tour with a view to foster India’s economic ties in a region with a strong presence of China.
Modi, who arrived from Mozambique, will make his beeline to Tanzania and Kenya on an itinerary aimed at demonstrating India’s engagement in the continent.
PM on arrival in Pretoria, said: “South Africa is an important strategic partner, with whom our ties are historical and deep-rooted.”
He will be seen addressing a thousands-strong Indian diaspora at a stadium in Johannesburg the evening before paying a visit to Durban, the heart of the Indian community in South Africa, on Saturday.
During his sojourn in South Africa, Modi will honour the 20 years that Mahatma Gandhi spent in the country as a lawyer and activist crusading for the rights of the Indian populace.
He will then, on Sunday, visit Phoenix Settlement in Durban and undertake a train journey to Pietermaritzburg station, where Gandhi was pushed off a train.
He said, ‘history is witness to how Mahatma Gandhi’s stay in South Africa impacted him.’
“He went to South Africa as a lawyer seeking work and returned to India as a strong voice for humanitarian values, who would go on to shape the history of humankind.”
India’s economic footprint in Africa is dwarfed by that of China, whose trade with the continent topped $200 billion last year.
India is gaining ground, however, led by private entrepreneurs with a keen interest in the continent’s burgeoning energy sector.
PM while in Maputo, on Thursday set the tone for his tour by announcing a raft of cooperation agreements on agriculture, defence, security and healthcare.
African nations vie for a greater share of the continent’s natural resources due to which India has been working on building ties with them, but these relations have had tensions due to alleged racism.
Source: Various Agencies
