Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile. Photo: X/@DIRCO_ZA
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has confirmed an incident in which India Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly refused to disembark from his plane because President Cyril Ramaphosa was not at the airport to welcome him.
Officials said a Cabinet minister was at the base to officially welcome the Indian prime minister, but he refused to get off the aircraft.
By contrast, President Cyril Ramaphosa had personally been on the tarmac to greet Chinese President Xi Jinping when he arrived on Monday night for the 15th Brics summit at the Sandton Convention centre, according to a report by The Daily Maverick.
Eventually, Ramaphosa sent Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who had to leave an official state visit with China’s President Xi Jinping, to welcome Modi, who allegedly did not want to be received by a minister.
International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele told journalists the South African government arranged with its Brics counterparts on who would receive their respective heads of state for the summit.
Ngqengelele denied there being any tensions from the Indian representatives, saying it is common for ministers to welcome heads of state during working visits.
He said there were no issues when International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor welcomed Brazil’s President Lula da Silva
“Of course [the Indian government] knew who would have received the prime minister. In most cases, it is ministers who receive heads of state [during working visits], or the president himself if he is available.”
Ngqengelele said Modi, whose official state visit with South Africa was downgraded to a working engagement, met Ramaphosa on Wednesday morning as part of normal proceedings at a multilateral gathering.
“There are other presidents who have asked to meet [Ramaphosa] on the Brics summit’s sidelines. So, part of that was the meeting confirmed this morning between President Ramaphosa and Prime Minister Modi.”
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Meanwhile, Modi surprised onlookers when he got out of his car while en-route to the venue on the first day of the Bric summit.
Supporters of the Indian prime minister lined the road where his convoy was passing.
The motorcade stopped and Modi got out of the car to chants of “Modi, Modi, Modi”. The prime minister engaged with the crowd and shook hands with supporters before getting back into the vehicle to resume the trip to the Sandton Convention Centre.
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