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South African president greets Indian Diaspora on Diwali

Fakir Hassen in Cape Town

President Thabo Mbeki has greeted the Hindu community of South Africa and the world on Diwali, saying the country could relate to the festival of lights.

"The celebration marking the legendary return of (Hindu god) Lord Ram and Sita from exile symbolises the victory of divine forces over those of wicked oppression, and South Africans can well relate to this experience having emerged from a period of intense oppression," Mbeki said in a statement.

"Many of us know only too well the pain of a long and arduous exile," Mbeki said, in a reference to those who had fought the minority white apartheid rule in South Africa while exiled outside the country.

The South African president acknowledged the role of the Hindu community in the country's freedom struggle and called upon the Indian expatriate community to work together with South Africans for the country's progress.

"May you continue, together with all other South Africans, to light the lamps leading towards a better life for all in our beloved country," Mbeki said.

"As you celebrate Diwali with your families and friends, remember to give thanks for being part of the path towards freedom and democracy in South Africa," concluded Mbeki's message.

Meanwhile, a huge crowd ended a two-day pre-Diwali celebration on the beaches of Durban, where the majority of South Africa's 1.2 million Indians live.

Festivities included a religious programme, music and dance concerts, a fireworks display and an Indian bazaar, all of which drew the largest crowd ever seen on Durban's beaches.

The city's police commander Glen Nayagar commended the discipline of the huge crowd, which included people of all communities. The pre-Diwali festival had for the first time ever one of the country's leading banks, FNB, sponsoring it.

Indo-Asian News Service

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