Johannesburg:
Ahmed Kathrada, South Africa's Indian-origin freedom struggle veteran and confidante of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, has been knighted by the French government for his lifelong service to the community.
Kathrada, 85, joined former President Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and author Nadine Gordimer as the only South Africans to have received French national honours.
The award is part of the National Orders of the Legion of Honour established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.
The order of Chevalier (Knight) is made to people who have served a minimum of 20 years of public service or 25 years of professional activity, and who have done more than is ordinarily expected in contributing to the development of others.
Presenting the award on Tuesday on France's national Bastille Day, French ambassador to South Africa Elisabeth Barbier commended Kathrada for his efforts in ensuring democracy in South Africa.
"Your life-long struggle for justice and freedom commands respect and admiration," Barbier said.
"You are an inspiration who demonstrates that freedom, equality and fraternity, are not just words devoid of significance. They are an ideal to inspire the life and dedication of great, exceptional men," Barbier said.
Kathrada, who spent 26 years in prison alongside Mandela, often jokes about this being one year less than the prisoner who became the country's first democratically-elected President because "Indians always negotiate a discount".
Kathrada dedicated his award to all the martyrs of the freedom struggle in South Africa.
He still leads a very active life, promoting non-racialism across the globe through his Ahmed Kathrada Foundation.
Between Durga Charan Rakshit who was the first Indian recipient of the knighthood in 1896 and former Finance Minister and External Affairs Minister of India Yashwant Sinha, who received it this year, there have been 17 other Indian nationals who have received the honour.
They include industrialist JRD Tata, filmmaker Satyajit Ray and Indian film stars Sivaji Ganesan, Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan.