Anil Sooklal is South Africa’s High Commissioner to India, Bangladesh and Nepal. A career diplomat, he has served as his country’s ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg, and as its focal point for the Indian Ocean Rim Association. He was previously deputy director-general for Asia and the Middle East at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
South Africa has no resident embassy in Kathmandu, so Sooklal travelled to Nepal during the festival season to meet the new government, the business community and civil society. He met with dignitaries including the foreign secretary, the ministers of foreign affairs, industry and tourism, and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce. Kantipur TV’s Priya Sigdel sat down with him to discuss the two countries’ shared history, the aftermath of the Rasuwa flood, the role of honorary consuls and where the relationship could go next.
Why are you in Nepal at this time of year?
As High Commissioner, it is mandatory for me to come and engage with both the government and wider society. This is also a very special period for Nepali society. We have experienced the festival season in India, and we wanted to experience Nepal’s version of it as well.
Who have you met so far?
It was important for us to make contact with the new government. You have a new, young and dynamic leadership, and we were privileged to meet several ministers. We started with the foreign secretary, whom I know very well from his time as Nepal’s High Commissioner to South Africa. We then met the new foreign minister, the minister of industry and the minister of tourism, and we also met the leadership of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce.
What stood out?
The warmth with which I was received, and the genuine desire of the Nepali leadership to strengthen the relationship with South Africa.
Many Nepalis are hopeful about the new government. Are you?
I’m very positive. When you have change, you must embrace it. We embraced change in South Africa when we became a democracy, and we set about building the country. I think that is what the new leadership and the people of Nepal want: a better life for everyone.
What binds Nepal and South Africa historically?
What truly bonds us is the role Nepal played in our liberation struggle. Not many people realise that Nepal served on the UN Special Committee against Apartheid when it was formed in 1962. For 25 years, until 1994 when we became a democracy, Nepal was vice-chair of that committee.
The committee played a very important role at the United Nations in championing our freedom struggle and the call for South Africa’s liberation. So Nepal has played a very important role in our freedom.
How does that history shape relations today?
It forms a very strong basis for our bilateral relationship, and for the cooperation we enjoy at the multilateral level. We are both vibrant democracies, and we value the principles and ethics that govern democratic societies. We are also developing countries of the Global South, with similar challenges. Our people have similar aspirations.
Nepal recently suffered a devastating flood in Rasuwa. Was South Africa following the incident?
Very closely. Let me first repeat the condolences our government sent after the tragic event of 26 August. The entire world was shocked and empathised with this great tragedy. Just last week our press ran another story on it, because six South Africans are still missing.
Given the scale of the tragedy, it has a high profile in the South African media. South African society as a whole follows very closely what has transpired and the ongoing efforts.
Has Nepal kept you informed?
Yes. Despite the difficulties this tragedy has brought, you have constantly kept us informed about the missing South Africans and the efforts being made by the government and people of Nepal.
It speaks to the resilience of the people. Wherever we went during this visit, people were so positively disposed, with a very warm, welcoming disposition. That says a lot about the people of Nepal and about Nepal as a country.
What does the flood mean for cooperation on climate and disaster preparedness?
As countries of the Global South, we need to work more closely on climate change and climate action. What has happened here does not affect Nepal alone. It affects the entire globe, and we are all partly responsible. We are not keeping to the 1.5-degree target we set on global warming, and we are seeing the devastation this is having on our planet and our people.
We need to work together to enforce the decisions of the UNFCCC. More importantly, we need to contribute to the Green Climate Fund, so that countries of the Global South, Nepal included, can address the challenges of both mitigation and adaptation. Not enough is being done. This tragedy has brought sharp focus to the global community that we need to intensify our cooperation.
Could a disaster like this put foreign investors off? How can South Africa encourage investment despite it?
In our discussions with the ministers, we identified three or four critical areas where South Africa can play an important role. The first is reconstruction. Despite the tragedy, the destruction of infrastructure is also an opportunity, and South Africa is very strong in that sector.
The second is mining. We are a mining country with vast experience, and Nepal has vast, untapped resources. I believe South Africa can strengthen cooperation with Nepal in that area.
Third, you have a youthful, well-educated population, so there is great scope for cooperation in ICT and new technologies. We are also very strong in the agro-processing industry, and we can work closely with Nepal there. Green energy is another important area. The world is moving towards green energy and climate resilience, and South Africa has expertise to exchange with Nepal.
Despite South Africa’s strong global presence, few Nepalis know its shared history with Nepal. Why?
We need to put in greater effort on the visibility of the relationship, on both sides. We agreed on that during this visit. We need more exchange between our business communities and between the executive members of our governments.
What will change that?
I am very keen for some of our ministers to come to Nepal next year, and I am positive that will happen. We have invited every minister I met to visit South Africa. We would also like to see more people-to-people exchange, between our students, academics and business communities. We have been talking about this for some time.
We also met the mayor, and we have started an initiative to twin Kathmandu with Cape Town. You are the top of the world and we are the tip. From top to tip, it is a natural fit for creating synergies. I am positive that, following this visit, there will be concrete deliverables.
What kinds of South African business could Nepal attract?
There are three or four key areas we should focus on for mutual benefit. One is agriculture and agro-processing. Another is mining, including mining equipment, where South Africa is a leader. A third is infrastructure: you have major infrastructure needs, and we have very strong infrastructure companies, though we have our own needs too.
South Africa is also very rich in critical minerals, which is a global issue today, so we can look at cooperation in the mineral sector. And of course there is tourism. That is a natural fit as well.
How can the two countries create opportunities for students, young professionals and entrepreneurs?
In some of our discussions, we have talked about creating synergy between our business communities. The trade opportunities are vast. We saw some Nepali products, and I think there is a great market for them in South Africa. We are just not aware of it. Twinning business communities and chambers will provide that opening.
We know very little about each other, and yet we have this historical relationship. Once we create synergy through these kinds of interactions, there will be opportunities on both sides.
If you could take one concrete step today, what would it be?
Intensify our business-to-business interaction. I think that will unleash whole new opportunities on both sides.