Johannesburg: While paying a tribute to Nelson Mandela on Tuesday, US President Barack Obama warned of “strange and uncertain times”, a day after Donald Trump took the side of Vladimir Putin for his stance over interference in US elections.
He was delivering a speech in Johannesburg marking 100 years of Nelson Mandela’s birth anniversary when he made a statement on the issue. He did not refer to the issue directly but warned that the “politics of fear and resentment” were spreading all over the world.
He took the opportunity to criticize climate-change deniers, policies of migration based on race, unbridled capitalism and “strongman politics” – which seemed directed towards Trump in a veiled attack.
“Given the strange and uncertain times we are in, each day’s news cycles brings more head-spinning and disturbing headlines, I thought maybe it would be useful to step back for a moment and get some perspective,” Obama said at the start of his speech.
The crowd to which Obama addressed consisted of more than 10,000 people at a cricket stadium in Johannesburg in the centerpiece event of celebrations which marked a total of 100 years since Nelson Mandela’s birth.
“It is in part because of the failures of governments and powerful elites… that we now see much of the world threatening to return to an older, more dangerous, more brutal way of doing business,” Obama said.
“You have to believe in facts, without facts there is no basis from cooperation,” he said.
“I can’t find common ground when someone says climate change is not happening.”
The birth date of Nelson Mandela is marked on July 18 around the world. It was this event called the eve of “Mandela Day” that Mr. Obama made his warning statement.
Obama maintained a low profile and addressed a few public appearances since leaving the White House in 2017. He has many times credited Mandela for being one of the greatest personalities he derives inspiration from.
Mandela died in the year 2013 but still, he remains a global icon representing the long struggle against white-minority apartheid rule and also his message of peace and reconciliation after being freed from 27 years of imprisonment.
Obama got a chance to meet Mandela only briefly in the year 2005 but he took the opportunity of his funeral to eulogize him by saying, Mandela “makes me want to be a better man” and hailed him as “the last great liberator of the 20th century”.
The 100th anniversary of Mandela has reminded a lot of memories and tributes to the late anti-apartheid leader. Apart from that, it has also triggered a debate over his legacy and South Africa’s fate since he resigned in 1999.
Those who were present at Obama’s speech also included African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mandela’s widow Graca Machel.
Although the ceremonies eventually started very late, the people were seen standing outside the Wanderers stadium from early morning.
“We need more hope because we are living in difficult times,” Nomsa Nkosi, 45, a blind woman in the audience, told AFP.
“Mandela was one of a kind and we need the youngsters to come and see what is meant by motivation.”
Obama made a visit to his father’s home country before arriving in South Africa.
He is also expected to host a town hall event to be held in Johannesburg on Wednesday for 200 young leaders selected from across African continent to attend a five-day training programme.
Under the apartheid rule in 1962, Mandela was imprisoned and only freed in the year 1990. After that, he went on to lead the African National Congress party such that they became victorious in the first multi-race elections in 1994.
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