The President Pratibha Patil is scheduled leave for South Africa (on Sunday) on a ten-day-tour. Notably, this will become the last official tour of Pratibha Patil as she will retire from the post in another two and half months.  She is scheduled to tour Seashells on April 30 and May 1 after which she would tour South Africa till April 7. On the same day, she would leave for India.

The union minister for communications, Sachin Pilot, Prabha Thakur, business magnates and media representatives are going to accompany Pratibha Patil in her tour. As a part of her tour, the president Pratibha Patil will hold wide range talks with the president Jacob Juma. She will also address India-South Africa business forum. She would alter unveil the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. Later, she would witness the cells where Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were locked up when they raised their voices against apartheid.

This is apparently one of the important tours of the president as she would not only pay tributes to Mahatma in South Africa, but would also visit the prisons. (Phani)