Sonia, Mbeki discuss ties

DURBAN: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and South African President and ruling ANC leader Thabo Mbeki today agreed to forge closer links between their parties as part of the process to strengthen Indo-South African ties. The two leaders met at President Mbeki's official residence in Cape Town soon after Gandhi arrived in the city from Johannesburg.

Gandhi and Mbeki agreed to forge closer links between the Congress and the ANC as part of the process to strengthen ties between India and South Africa and with the Workers' Party of Brazil within the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) context.

Gandhi also expressed interest in South Africa's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) programme, which aims to speed up the economic advancement of the black majority. The Congress leader also held talks with Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who gave her a full account of the working of the BEE policies.

Gandhi will today visit the South African Parliament and later deliver the Mahatma Gandhi peace lecture as part of India's celebration of the 100th anniversary of Satyagraha. After delivering her speech, she will immediately leave for Johannesburg to catch a flight to New Delhi.

Gandhi yesterday met former President Nelson Mandela and presented him with a book on the Mahatma -- the man who inspired his freedom movement during the apartheid era. The Congress President has cut short her visit, which was earlier planned for four days, by dropping Durban from her itinerary amidst ongoing stand-off with Left allies over the Indo-US nuclear deal.