Lamp-Lighting Ceremony in Pretoria Celebrates Sri Lanka’s Freedom and Bilateral Ties

Sri Lanka Celebrates 78th Independence Day in Pretoria with Warm South African ParticipationPretoria, 5 February 2026 – The High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in South Africa hosted a vibrant celebration marking the country’s 78th Independence Day at a special ceremony in Pretoria.

High Commissioner Air Chief Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa (Retd.) and Mrs. Enoka Rajapaksa welcomed guests to the event, which highlighted Sri Lanka’s historic achievement of freedom from British colonial rule in 1948.Representing the South African government was Phaswa Phineas Mamogale, Chief Financial Officer of the National Department of Health.

The ceremony opened with the playing of both nations’ national anthems, followed by the traditional lighting of oil lamps and candles—a poignant symbolic act signifying the dispelling of darkness and the dawn of independence, freedom, and hope. This ritual also embodies the unity of Sri Lanka’s diverse ethnic and religious communities in building a shared future.

High Commissioner Rajapaksa and CFO Mamogale delivered heartfelt remarks, reflecting on shared values of resilience and reconciliation, before proposing toasts to continued friendship and prosperity.

Sri Lanka and South Africa enjoy longstanding bilateral ties, established in 1994 after the end of apartheid. Sri Lanka supported the anti-apartheid struggle, and today the relationship spans diplomacy, trade (with growing exchanges in goods like apparel and coal), and cooperation in peace-building and reconciliation.

Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to deepening people-to-people and economic links through forums like the Sri Lanka–South Africa Partnership. The event underscored enduring solidarity between the two democracies.