South Africa hosts inaugural PIO Connect event to strengthen ties with India

Johannesburg, Aug 26 (PTI) More than a dozen South African leaders from diverse fields have shared their experiences and explored avenues for greater cooperation with India at the inaugural PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) Connect event hosted by the Indian High Commission in Pretoria.

High Commissioner Prabhat Kumar said the event, organised on Monday, was aimed at celebrating the contributions of the Indian community to the building of the new South Africa.

Similar events are planned in other cities across the country, he said.

At the onset, two South African recipients of the prestigious Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award -- veteran activist Prema Naidoo and community leader Mohan Hira -- were felicitated. The award, India’s highest honour for overseas Indians, is conferred biennially on January 9, the day Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa.

The event featured panel discussions on a wide range of subjects, from health and business to cinema, sport and Gandhi.

In his keynote address, Poobalan ‘Les’ Govender, Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (upper House of the South African Parliament), highlighted the significant role of the Indian community in the country’s governance.

He noted that despite being a minority, South Africans of Indian descent have held senior positions, including himself as the first person of Indian origin in the Council.

“Narend Singh is Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, and Ashor Sarupen is one of the two Deputy Ministers of Finance in the Government of National Unity that was formed in July this year under President Cyril Ramaphosa,” Govender said.

“The history of South Africa would be incomplete without recognising the role that the Indian community has played,” he said, calling for the long-standing India-South Africa relationship to be further deepened.

“Our shared focus must be on advancing innovation and ensuring young people, many of them proudly identifying as South Africans of Indian descent who see themselves as inheritors of a rich legacy, are supported,” he said.

Govender also urged New Delhi to simplify procedures for South Africans of Indian origin applying for OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) cards, especially regarding the documentation of ancestral birth records.

Dr Anban Pillay, Deputy Director General of the Department of Health, observed that ties with India were more effective during the IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) grouping than within the current BRICS framework. He lauded India for supplying vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic when Western nations were hoarding supplies.

“Somehow, we were not able to preserve the IBA relationship,” he said.

David Gengan, Chairperson of the Pietermaritzburg Gandhi Foundation, recalled Gandhi’s influence on leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr.

“Gandhi was able to transcend religious and language barriers," he said, adding that South Africa is fortunate it never had a religious struggle and "Gandhi set the tone”.

Other speakers highlighted opportunities and challenges in bilateral ties.

Amith Singh of Nedbank stressed the need to expand collaboration beyond IT, while Dabur South Africa head Kavim Ragbir noted that high wage costs made local manufacturing less competitive compared to India.

Professional cricketer Rasika Maharaj pointed to difficulties faced by Indian-origin women athletes under Cricket South Africa’s race quota system, while golfer Dylan Naidoo shared his pride at becoming the first player of Indian origin to win the South African Open Championship. PTI FH SCY SCY