-By LeN Diplomatic Editor
(Lanka-e-News -28.June.2025, 8.55 AM) In a significant diplomatic overture reflecting growing solidarity among reformist movements across the Global South, former South African President Thabo Mbeki met today with senior leaders of Sri Lanka’s National People’s Power (NPP) at the headquarters of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in Pelawatta.
The midday dialogue marked a moment of mutual recognition between two political traditions shaped by post-colonial struggles, anti-corruption agendas, and aspirations for social justice. Mr. Mbeki, who served as President of South Africa from 1999 to 2008 and remains an influential elder statesman on the continent, extended his congratulations to the NPP for what he described as a “historic and people-driven electoral victory.”
Mr. Mbeki expressed confidence in the new Sri Lankan administration’s determination to build a state free of corruption and fraud, noting that such a model was not only essential for national prosperity but also served as a beacon of democratic renewal for other developing nations. The South African delegation acknowledged that there was growing clarity and confidence within the African Union and beyond about Sri Lanka’s new trajectory under the NPP-led government.
Speaking on behalf of the NPP, party leaders remarked that South Africa’s experience in post-apartheid reconciliation, institutional reform, and pluralistic governance offered valuable insights for Sri Lanka—especially in the areas of national unity and inter-ethnic coexistence.
The two sides also discussed the potential for deepened bilateral relations, particularly in areas of economic development, political collaboration, and constitutional governance. Both parties agreed on the necessity of strengthening state-to-state ties, noting that the shared histories of political transformation in both nations offered fertile ground for long-term cooperation.
The NPP leadership affirmed that Sri Lanka looks to countries like South Africa as strategic partners in a new era of diplomacy—one that places ethical leadership and democratic accountability above geopolitical gamesmanship.
Joining President Mbeki at the meeting were Sandile Schalk, South Africa’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, and Maxwell Bÿwaí, Executive Director of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation. The Sri Lankan delegation included Tilvin Silva, General Secretary of the JVP; Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe, General Secretary of the NPP; Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation; and Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Minister of Fisheries.
The visit, while brief, is being seen as symbolically significant. In an age where Global South partnerships are increasingly replacing old North-South dependency models, such engagements suggest a reconfiguration of international alliances based on mutual respect, shared values, and clean governance.
As the meeting concluded, Mr. Mbeki reportedly left with a gift-wrapped copy of the NPP’s manifesto for national transformation—alongside a firm handshake and a quiet sense that history, for once, might be on the side of integrity.
-By LeN Diplomatic Editor
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by (2025-06-28 03:27:28)
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