India-South Africa India-South Africa 2019 | Page 21

SPECIAL REPORT
National Congress (ANC) especially the
youth league and later the military wing
“Umkhonto we Sizwe”. More notable was
the 27 years in prison and a later accession to
the country’s top position post the apartheid
regime. Much of Mandela’s philosophy
was inspired by the Gandhian Satyagraha
which was already a successful experience
in India’s anti-colonial struggle. There were
two leaders, though continents apart, deeply
connected by the urge to deliver freedom
to all.
Offi cial diplomatic relations
Whereas India’s relationship with South
Africa dates back so many centuries ago,
offi cial diplomatic relation between the two
countries was established in 1994. Previously
the two countries sustained strong trade ties.
However, with the continuous brutality of
the heavy-handed apartheid regime, India cut
economic ties with the apartheid regime. India
is on record to be the fi rst country to sever
ties with the Dutch colonial government and
imposed economic and political sanctions.
Following her independence in 1947, India
intensifi ed her struggle for the freedom of
other countries still subject to the colonial
rule. India championed the demands of
other colonies in multilateral institutions
like the Non-Aligned Movement, the United
Nations among others. Prime Minister
Nehru is specifically credited for raising
the brutality of the Apartheid regime at the
United Nations. After a gap of four decades,
India re-established cultural ties in 1993, after
South Africa ended its institutionalized racial
segregation. Consequently, a Cultural Centre
opened doors in Johannesburg in May 1993.
In November 1993, an Agreement was signed
establishing full diplomatic and consular
relations during the visit of the South African
Foreign Minister Pik Botha to India. The
Indian High Commission in Pretoria was
opened in May 1994. In 1996, India opened
its permanent Offi ce of the High Commission
in Cape Town, which was re-designated as
Consulate General of India in 2011.
India and South Africa: Convergencies
India’s economic relation with South
Africa has significantly flourished over
time. Total trade between the countries as
of 2017/18 is valued at USD 10 billion. In
2016, the two countries made a commitment
to double to trade value to USD 20 billion
India-South Africa • 2019 • 21