Obama boost for Cyril
Nelson Mandela was able to inspire and President Cyril Ramaphosa exhibits the same trait, say Barack Obama and Madiba’s widow Graca Machel – praise that analysts say is timely ahead of next year’s elections.
The Mandela 100 commemoration became a mini battlefield in the ongoing US political war this week, as the Trump administration ordered that Barack Obama not be given any assistance other than security arrangements by the American embassy in South Africa.
The high-profile visit by former president Obama was mainly arranged and coordinated by the Nelson Mandela and Obama foundations, with no assistance from the US embassy in Pretoria – a break from diplomatic tradition of offering support to any visiting American leader.
None of the US embassy staff had to play any role due to “instructions by Washington” that Obama should not be provided any assistance, according to a highly placed source.
In the past, the US embassy has always provided full support to any visiting American leader regardless of party affiliation.
Asked for comment, respected Wits University international relations visiting professor John Stremlau said United States President Donald Trump had “a penchant for pettiness and strange fixation with denigrating, dismissing virtually all actions by his predecessor”.
He added: “Trump rose to prominence on the lie that Obama was born in Kenya and hence was not legitimate. One should never underestimate how low he can go.
“But given how thin the embassy staff is, without an ambassador and several recent departures of lesser ranks, Washington would simply defer to the hosts.
“I recall when Obama was president and delivered the December 2013 memorial address for Mandela, a fake signer managed to con his way on stage and stand right next to him,” said Stremlau, referring to discredited Thamsanqa Jantjie. “One would think that would be a warning both to the hosts and US government.”