May 1, 2008...7:49 am
Nelson Mandela On US Terrorist List
Nelson Mandela still needs special permission to visit the States all because the Nobel Peace Prize Winner is blacklisted on US terrorist watch lists.
18 years onwards since his release from prison, commom sense finally prevail when at a Senate hearing Tuesday 9th April, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice “urged lawmakers…………..to make sure the legislation was passed” to remove Nelson Mandela and ANC’s [Africa National Congress] leaders from any US databases that list them as terrorists. Somehow Ms Rice felt it was time to remove the goodly gentleman and the ANC from a blacklist drawn up during the apartheid era.
Apparently being being South Africa first black president, a Nobal Peace winner, doing humanitarian good and promoting equality between the black and whites races are not good indicators that the gentleman had uhhhhh “reformed.”
This is what Ms Rice had to say about the shameful situation. “It is frankly a rather embarrassing matter that I still have to waive in my own counterparts - the foreign minister of South Africa, not to mention the great leader, Nelson Mandela.”
The African National Congress (ANC) was designated as a terrorist organisation by South Africa’s old apartheid regime.
At present a waiver is needed for any ANC leaders to enter the country.
In 2002, former ANC chairman Tokyo Sexwale was denied a visa. In 2007, Barbara Masekela, South Africa’s ambassador to the United States from 2002 to 2006, was denied a visa to visit her ailing cousin and didn’t get a waiver until after the cousin had died.
In other related news
Nelson Mandela will turn 90 on July 18 this year. People around the world would be able to send personal greetings to Mandela thanks to the Nelson Mandela Foundation which says it is negotiating with mobile phones networks to make possible.
The greetings can be send by text or email and will be posted on the Foundation website as part of a year-long series of events which would include interviews to honour Mandela, brithday concert, lecture and exhibitions.
[Adapted from International Press Reports]
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