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Barack Obama jokes with Jacob Zuma, who was talking on the phone, during a luncheon hosted by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Photo by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
- Former US President Barack Obama described former South African President Jacob Zuma as “quite nice.”
- He made reference to South Africa in his new book. A promised land.
- Obama highlighted the rampant corruption under the leadership of the ANC.
Former US President Barack Obama said he found former President Jacob Zuma “kind enough” and spoke “eloquently” about development and the equitable distribution of wealth.
But, writing in his new book A promised land, which was released this week, Obama lamented that the ANC government is squandering Nelson Mandela’s legacy through corruption and incompetence.
In the autobiography of more than 900 pages, he reflected on the Brics block, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
“South Africa was in transition at the time, and Interim President Kgalema Motlanthe would soon be replaced by Jacob Zuma, the leader of Nelson Mandela’s party, the African National Congress, who controlled the country’s Parliament. In subsequent meetings, Zuma seemed to me that “kind enough. He spoke eloquently of the need for fair trade, human development, infrastructure, and more equitable distributions of wealth and opportunity on the African continent, “Obama wrote.
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Obama raised the issues of corruption and incompetence under the ANC government.
“However, by all accounts, much of the goodwill accumulated through Mandela’s heroic struggle was being wasted by corruption and incompetence under the leadership of the ANC, leaving large swaths of the country’s black population mired in poverty and despair. “
Obama made his first visit to South Africa as president in 2013 and was received by Zuma on a state visit.
He also attended Mandela’s funeral later that year. Obama subsequently visited South Africa in 2015 and again in 2018 when he delivered the annual Mandela Memorial Lecture.
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