Page 34 - Diplomatists Nov
P. 34
SP E CIAL REPOR T
WHY INDIA-SOUTH
AFRICA BOND MATTERS
BY CHRISTOPHER EDYEGU*
n 2020, South African Indians will be (JMC) with the objective of forging mutual and
celebrating 160 years of transitioning from beneficial cooperation in the areas of “politics,
Ibondage to freedom. That is a very important trade and investment; communications and
milestone in the history of both South Africa and information technology; minerals and energy; arts,
India. It is also important to keep in mind that India culture, sports and recreation; human resource
and South Africa are seen as natural allies. That is development; and consular and immigration
exemplified through “their independent struggles matters.” Furthermore, at the 2015 9th JMC
from colonialism and the anti-apartheid liberation meeting, it was upgraded to deal with several
respectively, the pursuit of non-alignment, and the priority areas which include, “defence, deep
battle for a reformed, just, equitable, and inclusive mining, science and technology, agriculture and
global system that consolidates South-South food processing, and insurance. ” These areas of
Cooperation and reflects the current structures of collaboration show that India and South Africa
political and economic power”. Their common have deep ties, and it is, therefore, important to
interests and actions of solidarity make both understand why those bilateral bonds matter. There
countries strategic normative actors in the 21st are several reasons, but this article will focus on
century, notwithstanding the historical lines of historical and cultural reasons, economic reasons
complementary. Both India and South Africa have and global leadership ambitions.
iconic human rights and social justice giants in the First, India-South Africa bonds matter because
form of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, of historical and cultural reasons. Both countries
who became South Africa’s symbol of political share deep cultural ties due to the presence of a
transition from apartheid to democracy. vibrant Indian community in South Africa. The fi rst
In addition to the above features, and after Indians arrived in South Africa as slaves during
1994, bilateral relations between both nations the Dutch colonial era in 1684. A conservative
were strengthened. That is reflected in the calculation shows that over 16,300 slaves from the
formation of the Joint Ministerial Commission Indian subcontinent had been brought to the Cape
34 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 8 • Issue 9 • November 2020, Noida
