Obama has Joburg eating out if his hand
Obama had the audience eating out of his hand as he called for a new, kinder market system
When Barack Obama delivered the 16th Nelson Mandela annual lecture at Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg on the eve of Mandela’s centennial, he intended to set the tone for his "post-presidency". There was no shortage of political heavyweights in the bullring, testimony to the huge global brand that has been built on the foundation of Mandela’s image as a statesman. Former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan was there, along with former heads of government Kgalema Motlanthe, Mary Robinson of Ireland and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. Nelson Mandela Foundation chair Njabulo Ndebele said: "Madiba was able to put up the armour of self-composure when fear was churning inside him." There were sharp political moments, such as when Graça Machel, after welcoming President Cyril Ramaphosa, said: "I can see Madiba smiling to hear me call him ‘President Ramaphosa’," referring to the fact that Mandela had wanted Ramaphosa to succeed him in 1999. It fell to Ramaphosa, who had received a standing o...
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