India's ties to South Africa's struggle for freedom and justice trace back to the time when Mahatma Gandhi launched his Satyagraha movement there over a century ago. India was also at the forefront of the international community in its support for the anti-apartheid movement; it was the first country to cut trade ties with the apartheid government (in 1946) and then imposed a complete embargo on South Africa, including diplomatic, commercial, cultural, and sporting sanctions.
India has repeatedly sought to bring the issue of apartheid to the attention of the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and other multilateral institutions, as well as to impose broad international sanctions against South Africa. From the 1960s forward, the ANC had a representative office in New Delhi. India strongly supported the AFRICA Fund in its efforts to keep the struggle going by providing assistance to frontline countries.
India-Africa Defence Cooperation:
- In 1996, India and South Africa signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) on ‘Cooperation in the Field of Defence Equipment,’ which was later superseded by a Memorandum of Understanding on ‘Defense Cooperation’ in 2000.
- As a result, the Defence Secretaries of both nations co-chaired an India-South Africa Joint Defence Committee (JDC). The eighth edition of JDC was held in Delhi, India, from the 5th to the 7th of December 2017.
- Indian naval ships and sailing vessels visit South Africa on a regular basis. From October 1-13, 2018, IN Ships Tarkash and Kolkata visited Cape Town and took part in the 6th IBSA Maritime Exercise (IBSAMAR).
- As part of the Navika Sagar Parikrama, INSV Tarini visited Cape Town from March 2-14. In March 2019, the South African Army took part in the Indian Army's Multinational Field Training Exercise for African Nations, which was held in Pune.
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