Cape Town - The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Cape Town held a special celebratory diplomatic reception commemorating the 79th anniversary of Indonesia’s Independence this week.
The reception took place at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Kenilworth, where guests were treated to Indonesian cuisine, along with a cultural performance by the Eoan Group of Performing Arts and live singing throughout the evening.
Acknowledging both countries, the South African National Anthem was sung, as well as the Indonesian National Anthem.
Indonesian Consul-General M.R. Tudiono said: “The celebrations of our independence are always very important for us because it is a historical moment and a reminder about how hard it is to fight colonialism and injustices.
“It is very difficult to achieve independence, so we remember the history and take the value of freedom, humanity, and justice, which is a very important element for Indonesia to move forward.
“Our target is to achieve a golden Indonesia by 2045; to be the sixth biggest economy in the world. The Indonesian community in Cape Town is not large, we only have around 150 individuals, but our government perceives Cape Town and South Africa as very important.”
Indonesia gained its freedom in 1945, through a long path of both physical and diplomatic struggle, which started hundreds of years ago with sporadic resistance and conflict by local rulers and kingdoms against foreign administration.
On 28 October 1928, representatives of young Indonesian nationalists from all over Indonesia gathered and declared the “Youth Pledge,” stating three ideas: “One Indonesian Motherland, One Indonesian Nation, One Unifying Indonesian Language.” Indonesia proclaimed its independence on 17 August 1945, which is then commemorated every year as Independence Day.
In attendance was the guest of honour, the Western Cape MEC of Finance, Deidrè Baartman, who said that the South African government and Western Cape Province have strong ties with the Indonesian Government.
“To strengthen our ties, we must acknowledge and improve our relationships. One of the things we are looking to strengthen is to explore how we can better partner with Indonesia in terms of our economy.”
“The Western Cape government has identified Indonesia as a key partner in the next 30 years towards economic growth, as well as how we can increase tourism between our two countries, including the possibility of exploring direct flights between the two countries,” said Baartman.