Overview of Vice President’s 7-day Visit to three South African Countries Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi

On October 31, 2018, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu embarked on a seven-day 3-South African nation visit to Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Highlights:
i.The tour consisted of:

• Visit to Botswana from October 31 to November 2, 2018.
• Visit to Zimbabwe from November 2 to November 4, 2018.
• Visit to Malawi from November 4 to November 5, 2018.

ii. He was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Pal Gurjar, two Members of Parliament and a team of senior officials.

3-day Visit to Botswana:

On October 31, 2018, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu received by the Vice President of Botswana, Mr. Slumber Tsogwane, the High Commissioner of India to Botswana, Dr. Rajesh Ranjan and others, on his arrival, in Gaborone, Botswana.

Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 13th Global Expo Botswana 2018:
On October 31, 2018, VP inaugurated the 13th Annual Global Expo Botswana 2018 which was held in Gaborone, Botswana.
i. In his address he mentioned the following:

• India and Botswana were amongst the fastest growing economies in the world, with growth rates of over 7 per cent a year.
• Urged the Indian companies that were participating in the forum to look for investment opportunities in the fastest growing economy in Africa.
• The delegation consisted of 25 companies, largest-ever delegation from India to Botswana, that from the state of Gujarat and from South India.
• They covered sectors such as health, ITC, food processing, energy, textiles, education and manufacturing.

About the forum:
It is the largest business meet in the southern African country and is organized by the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC).

Background:
Bilateral trade has grown to $1.75 billion in 2017-18 – an impressive growth of 27 percent over the previous year.

Botswana to join the International Solar Alliance
On November 1, 2018, Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu met with the Vice President and the Acting President of Botswana, Mr. Slumber Tsogwane at the Office of the President of Botswana, in Gaborone, Botswana.
i.  They held a one-to-one meeting  which was followed by delegation level talks.
ii. In their meeting the following was discussed:

• Botswana decided to join the International Solar Alliance,
• India agreed to the Government of Botswana’s request to impart Diplomatic trainingto Botswana’s Junior Diplomats,
• Both sides agreed to further develop and diversify trade and economic engagement, private sector investment in Botswana and  cooperation in areas like copper mining etc.,
• India to continue the support to Botswana’s defence forces,
• Cooperation in a range of areas including agricultural, ICT, energy, health, capacity building, judicial cooperation etc.,
• India to participate in extension of 2of Botswana’s existing Railway lines through the involvement of RITES, a premier Government of India Undertaking,
• Both sides agreed that UNCCIT should be adopted at the earliestto counter terrorism and terror financing,
• Botswana acknowledged India’s support in tele-medicine and extending e-learning and e-health project to all countries in Africa,
• MoU was signed for waiving Visa for Diplomatic Passport holders.

iii. On his meet with the Vice president, he also signed the Visitor’s Book, at the Office of the President of Botswana.

Addressing the Indian diaspora:
i. He also addressed the Indian diaspora in Botswana.
ii. About 8,000 persons of Indian origin currently live in Botswana and nearly 3,000 of them are believed to have taken the Botswanian nationality.

Vice President attended India-Botswana CEO roundtable
On November 2, 2018, Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu attended the India-Botswana CEO Roundtable in Gaborone.

• He met prominent CEOs of Indian and Botswana entities and companies urged them to invest in India.
• He visited the state-of-the-art diamond sorting and valuation operating facility ‘The Diamond Trading Company Botswana’.
• It is the second largest Diamond Trading company in the world.
• During his visit to the Diamond Trading Company Botswana, he signed the Visitors’ Book.

Other News:
He also met President of Botswana, Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi, before his departure to Zimbabwe.

Botswana:
♦ Capital: Gaborone.
♦ Currency: Botswana pula.

3-day Visit to Zimbabwe

On November 2, 2018, Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu reached Harare, Zimbabwe for his 2^nd leg of the official tour at the invitation of Vice President of Zimbabwe.
i. He was received by the Vice President of Zimbabwe, Mr. Kembo Mohadi.

Addressing the Indian Community:
On November 2, 2018, Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu was greeted at the Indian Community Reception, in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Meeting the President:
On November 3, 2018, Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu called on the President of Zimbabwe, Mr. Emmerson Mnangagwa, at the Office of the President, in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Meeting the Vice President:
On November 3, 2018, VP also met the Vice President of Zimbabwe, Mr. Kembo Mohadi, at the Munhumutapa Building, in Harare, Zimbabwe.
i. They held bilateral talks with the Zimbabwean delegation co-chaired by H.E. Kembo Dugish Campbell Mohadi, Vice President of Zimbabwe.
ii. The following were discussed in the meeting:

• Cooperation to condemn terrorism,
• Extension of defence training slots by India to Zimbabwe Defence Forces to train in premier Indian Defence Institutions,
• Vice President announced US$ 310 million Line of Credit for up-gradation of Hwange Thermal Power Station. It is Zimbabwe’s second biggest power plant with an installed capacity of 920 MW.
• US$23 million Line of Credit for rehabilitation of Bulawayo Thermal Power Plant,
• US$19.5 million Line of Credit for Deka Pumping & river Water Intake System,
• Assistance for construction of Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre,
• US$2.93 million grant for Up-gradation of INDO-Zim Technology Centre,
• Gifting of 10 Indian made Ambulances to Zimbabwe, lifesaving drugs and deputation of experts in five specialised areas.
• To promote and enhance trade and economic relationsespecially in areas of mining, agriculture, SMEs, ICT, Health, HRD, diamond trading and traditional medicine,
• UNSC expansion and reform, promotion of world peace, climate change, sustainable development,
• India-Africa engagement and re-admission of Zimbabwe in Commonwealth,

India, Zimbabwe sign 6 agreements in various fields including Mining & Visa waiver:
i. On his meeting with the Vice President of Zimbabwe, 6 MOUs were signed.
ii. Following MOUs were signed between the 2 countries:

• Cooperation in the fields of Geology, Mining and Mineral Resources
• Action Plan on Information and Communication Technology
• Cooperation in the field of Traditional Medicine and Homeopathy
• Cooperation in the field of Arts, Culture and heritage
• Cooperation and Collaboration on Broadcasting
• Visa Waiver Agreement for holder of diplomatic and official/service passport passports

Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu address the Zimbabwe-India Business Forum, in Harare, Zimbabwe
On November 3, 2018, Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu addressed the India-Zimbabwe Business Forum meeting.
i. In his address, he emphasized on engagement in healthcare, agriculture, hospitality, infrastructure and SME sectors.

Other News:

• He also laid a wreath at National Heroes Acre Monument in Harare where the national heroes of Zimbabwe are honoured and laid to rest.
• He laid foundation stone of new Chancery project.

Zimbabwe:
♦ Capital: Harare.
♦ Currency: US dollars, South African rand, Euro.
♦  Ambassador of India to Zimbabwe: Shri R. Masakui.

2-day Visit to Malawi

On November 4, 2018, VP Venkaiah Naidu reached Malawi on final leg of his 3-nations Africa tour.
i. He was received by Minister for Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Malawi, Dr. Emmanuel Fabian, Minister of Education, Mr. Bright Msaka, High Commissioner of India to Malawi, , Shri Suresh Kumar Menon.
ii. This was the third and final leg of his three-nation tour of Africa.

V.P addressed Malawi-India Business Meet, in Lilongwe, Malawi
On November 5, 2018, VP Venkaiah Naidu attended the Malawi-India Business Meet, in Lilongwe, Malawi.
i. Malawi is rich in natural resources like high-quality coal, rare earth materials like Uranium, Niobium etc and can become a good source of rare earth and other minerals.
ii. For furthering the economic engagement between the 2 countries, Indian companies could form partnerships in Malawi both for the domestic economy and for the wider South African Development Community (SADC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
iii. The engagement could be for two-way trade and investment in

• Mining of coal and rare earth minerals,
• Power generation,
• Equipment manufacture,
• Information and communication technology,
• Pharmaceuticals,
• Agriculture,
• Food processing,
• Auto components,
• Medical devices,
• Defence production,
• Infrastructure and
• Tourism sector.

iii. Both the countries acknowledged recent developments in health sector with :
Partnership between Medical health insurer, MedHealth, and Yashoda Hospitals of India to enhance the rapid evacuation (medevac) of patients in emergency situations.

Meeting with the President of Malawi:
On November 5, 2018, Vice President called on His Excellency, the President of Malawi, Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika.
i. They discussed on the following matters:

• India extended the new line of credit for $215.16 million for 18 water projects spread over many areas of Malawi,
• Construction the Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Center in Blantyre,
• In Health sector, India gifted the Bhabatron Cancer Treatment Machine for the Kamuzu Central Hospital’s cancer wing, 10 ambulances as well as supply of essential medicines,
• Cooperation in pharmaceuticals and healthcare,
• Under the e-Vidhya Bharati and e-Aarogya Bharati initiative launched by India all over Africa, four universities and two medical colleges in Malawi have been selected,
• India will also be donating 100 thousand school text books on several subject for classes 8 to 12 in Malawi,
• Cooperation in agriculture, health, pharmaceutical, skill training as well as the engagement by the Indian private sector was discussed,
• In the area of agriculture India agreed to allow imports of mangoes from Malawi,
• India to set up a pan-African training institute in agriculture namely India-Africa Institute of Agriculture and Rural Development under Indian grant assistance for capacity building,
• Malawi has also ratified the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance.

3 MOUs were signed with Malawi:
The MOUs are:

• Extradition treaty,
• MoU on cooperation in the field of atomic energy for peaceful purposes between Global Center for Nuclear Energy in partnership of the Department of Atomic Energy and the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining of Malawi. 
• MOU on visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passports.

Other News:

• Vice President inaugurated a very unique event, India for Humanity to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• This includes a yearlong series of camps on the world renowned Jaipur Foot and these camps will be held in all parts of the world.
• He launched the very first Jaipur Foot Camp in this series in Malawi particularly.
• He unveiled the plaque to inaugurate the Business Incubation Center in Mponela well as another plaque in order to inaugurate the India Africa Center for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Malawi:
♦ Capital: Lilongwe.
♦ Currency: Malawian kwacha.
♦ High Commissioner of India to Malawi:  Shri Suresh Kumar Menon.