President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday began the final leg of her farewell tour with a seven-day visit to South Africa during which she will hold talks with her South African counterpart Jacob Zuma on various strategic and economic issues.
Earlier, Ms. Patil, who began her visit from Seychelles, was seen off from the Mahe airport by the country's President James Alix Michel.
On her arrival here, Ms. Patil was received at the Waterkloof Air Force Base by South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana Mashabane.
The President's official assignments will begin on Wednesday morning with a meeting with Mr. Zuma. This will be followed by a delegation-level meeting between the two sides following which the two leaders will issue a statement.
The President is also scheduled to visit a number of places in Johannesburg and Durban related to Mahatma Gandhi's years of stay when he built an opinion against apartheid and translated it into a non-violent movement in India.
