Standing (l-r) Sheikh Abdlul Qadir Shaban, Prof Jaco Beyers, Mr Adil Nchabeleng, Dr Faruk Hoosain, General Letlapa Mphahlele, Mr Hamid Oraee, Mr Kirtan Bhana and Mr Sello Motsei (Photo credit Bethuel Hamane)
17 February 2022
On the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the 28 year relations of South Africa and Iran, Mr Mahdi Agha Jafari, Ambassador of Iran to South Africa announced that planning is underway for the visit of President Ebrahim Raisi to South Africa which will take place this year. Ambassador Jafari was speaking at the opening of a seminar at Freedom Park in Pretoria, in the City of Tshwane, to mark February 10th, the National Day of Iran.
“…we will hold the 15th Joint Commission of Cooperation as well this year,” stated Jafari. He was referring to a framework of cooperation established in 1995 which included tourism, trade and scientific partnerships. He thanked South Africa for their progressive policy and support for Iran in the UNSC, for standing up against the illegal sanctions applied to the country with one of the largest energy resources in the world in the form of oil and gas.
Thanking the CFO at Freedom Park Ms Hulisani Ramugadi for the venue, which is a true representation of the struggle of South Africans against colonialism and apartheid, Jafari compared the leadership of the Ayatollah and Mandela saying that they opened a new space for their people.
The seminar, ‘Commemoration of the Revolutions – South Africa and Iran’, was hosted under the auspices of the Cultural Counsellor of the Embassy of Iran, Dr Ahmad Ali Moshenzadeh who invited guests to reach out to him for information on Iranian culture and history which stretches back more than 7000 years and has contributed significantly to human development through the sciences, medicine and arts.
The academics Prof Vuyisile Msila, Dr Agha Mohammadi Morteza and veteran Mr Sisa Njikelana delivered papers that reflected on revolution that leads to progress, on decolonization and what it means to Africanize. The colonisers demeaned the natives and their culture forcing them to adopt their foreign culture making it easier to manipulate, exploit and enslave. The academics called for international solidarity among nations and people.
by Kirtan Bhana