Jakarta, The Indonesia Post – The arrival of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in Johannesburg on Wednesday (23/8) evening was greeted by around 80 Indonesian citizens who came from various cities in South Africa, such as Pretoria and Cape Town.
Ismail Marzuki’s Indonesian Pusaka song, sung by a group of Indonesian citizens, accompanied President Jokowi and his entourage when they entered the courtyard of the Palazzo Hotel in Johannesburg.
President Jokowi appeared to be approaching several Indonesian citizens while shaking hands and greeting them, as well as responding to requests from Indonesian citizens to take selfies together, according to a written statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Pretoria on Thursday.
“Of course we are very pleased with the amount of enthusiasm shown by Indonesian citizens in South Africa in welcoming the President (Jokowi) in Johannesburg. This is a form of their love for the nation and country,” said Indonesian Ambassador to South Africa Saud Purwanto Krisnawan.
Not only from South Africa, Indonesian citizens who welcomed President Jokowi also came from a neighboring country, Eswatini.
“I deliberately came from Eswatini to welcome Pak Jokowi in South Africa. This is of course an unforgettable experience for me,” said Leniwaty, an Indonesian citizen who works as a spa business activist.
President Jokowi visited South Africa in order to attend the BRICS Summit which took place on 22-24 August 2023.
The presence of the Indonesian President in South Africa completes his visit to the African continent, having previously visited three other countries, namely Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique.
This visit is the first visit by the President of the Republic of Indonesia to the country with the capital city of Pretoria.
Apart from attending the BRICS Summit, President Jokowi is planned to hold bilateral meetings with leaders of a number of countries such as South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo. (mhn/bbs)
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