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India, S Africa should develop ties to promote tourism
Pietermaritzburg and New Delhi should explore the possibility of developing ties to boost tourism, said Dy Mayor of Pietermaritzburg.
The cities of Pietermaritzburg and New Delhi should explore the possibility of developing ties in order to cash in on the tourism potential, the Deputy Mayor of Pietermaritzburg has said.
Deputy Mayor, Zanele Hlatshwayo, made the call during a ceremony in the city where a bust of Mahatma Gandhi was donated by a visiting religious leader, Shri Satpai Maharaj. He was accompanied by a delegation of 40 officials and business people from New Delhi.
The Gandhi bust will be erected at the local railway station where Gandhi suffered the humiliation of being thrown off a whites-only compartment in the late 1890s while travelling between Durban and Johannesburg.
"The railway station and the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the city centre are of interest to both people", he said.
The provincial Finance and Economic Development Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, supported the call, saying interaction between India and KwaZulu-Natal should be intensified.
"By standing up against oppression and promoting peaceful co-existence and the well being of the entire human race, Mahatma ceased being Indian but became a world citizen", Mkhize said.
Guru Maharaj said it was important that the two cities used their heritage links to the benefit of everyone.
"Since this city [Pietermaritzburg] marked the start of Gandhi's struggle and New Delhi was the first area where the struggle for the liberation of India started, the two cities share a common feature.
This feature could be part of the Gandhi trail that would, given his contribution, yield massive benefits for both cities and their residents in tourism and employment opportunities", Guru Maharaj said.
