South African Consul-General in Los Angeles Talks To African Trumpet
Posted by Isaac Amo Kyereme | Posted in African Market USA, African Trumpet News, Education, News, African News, American News, Personal, Politics,
Your community newspaper, the African Trumpet was recently granted an interview by Mr Cyril Ndaba, the Consul-General of South Africa. Our correspondent, Isaac Appiah brings you what transpired at the interview.
African Trumpet (AT): Congratulations your Excellency on your recent appointment as the consul-general for the South African embassy how have you settled in so far?
His Excellency Mr. Cyril Ndaba (CN)
Well, a very good afternoon to you Isaac, a very good afternoon to you Sir.
My Name is Cyril Ndaba. I have been appointed to be the consul-general not only to offer my services in the State of California but twelve other states ranging from Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Washington-Seattle, the list is endless. So I have my work cut out for me. I am sure my department sent me here because they knew that I can get things done so I had to hit the ground running. I am here in Los Angeles and have been to Colorado, Washington Seattle and I am enjoying each and every minute of what I am doing here.
AT: Everyone who dealt with your predecessor will tell you, you are stepping into her very big shoes, are you ready to be there for All Africa as she was?
CN: Well it’s not a question of me filling my predecessor’s big shoes you know, I mean they were big shoes, but I can tell you that the big shoes are those of the continent and the message is the same. This the 21st century has to be the African century and things are happening. I am very happy about the fact that my predecessor had done so much for the continent and I take things from there because the message is the same. Our foreign policy rest on us being an African country and it’s in that vein that South Africa was sort of requested by heads of State to host the Africa Diaspora Summit. I am happy to inform you that it will be held in South Africa on 25th May, 2012. May 25th also happens to be the Africa Day, the day on which the erstwhile Organization of African Unity was founded way back in 1963. So the message is the same and Africa has to be the winner which happens to be the message that the President, President Jacob Zuma has given us. Go out there and make it a point that you work for the continent, not only for South Africa but for the continent.
AT: Well said your Excellency and I will come back to the question of AU. South Africa did Africa proud by hosting the 2010 soccer world cup, how has this great achievement affected the country and soccer development as a whole?
CN: You know it generated a lot of excitement. You know, prior to the buildup of the 2010 soccer tournament, attendance to the soccer matches was somewhat dwindling over the years. Now I can tell you there is so much… and I just learned that as early as this week that Benni McCarthy who has played for Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, is back now playing for Orlando pirates, has been signed by Orlando Pirates. You can see that it has generated that excitement, you know our international stars like Bernard Parker, all of them have come back to the country to play for the local sides. And the biggest bang upside you know has pumped in millions and millions of dollars I would say into the development of soccer. Also the soccer legacy fund which the Fifa governing body for international football also left as a sort of legacy to develop soccer and its administration in South Africa is equally helping with the development of the game.
AT: Leading to South Africa’s hosting of the tournament, there were a lot of negative articles on how unprepared South Africa was to host this tournament, why do you think such negative portrayal of Africa still lingers on?
CN: Well Africa will always have its detractors. You know people particularly in the Western Countries will like to see the perpetual portrayal of Africa as a continent of war, of famine, of crime; of poverty you name it, all the negative things. But coming back to those negative reports , we always confound our critics. It was not for the first time that South Africa was hosting a Mega event. You can go back to 1995, when South Africa hosted the Rugby world cup. It was a success. We confounded our critics. We’ve hosted international events, the United Nations Conference against racism, we’ve hosted NAM conference and as you are probably aware, a little over hundred heads of State and heads of government descended and everything went on exceptionally well. So we were not distracted. The cricket world cup we’ve hosted, we are also hosting in November Cup 17. We have the experience. We have the facilities, we have the infrastructure, we have the experience. We are in Africa, and it was not me, but Sepp Blatter the President of Fifa, who said South Africa hosted the best ever soccer world cup. It’s an accolade, it’s a pat on our backs. It went on so well without any problems. Whether it was the much about talked crime, but not even a single soccer enthusiast was mobbed, stabbed or whatever. It was peacefully peaceful. People were happy.
AT: We in our last edition published a story on preparations that where going on to celebrate President Nelson Mandela’s birthday. How did the celebrations go?
CN: It went very well Sir. Unfortunately I was in South Africa myself. But I have a very able, a very able colleagues here, Mrs. Kgopotso John, as well as Mr. Etienne VanStraaten who handled business in my absence. There was a service here which I think were conducted in two churches. Before that though, it was held in June. There is this outfit called “Amen Science” which is an organization led by the Tucker family here ( in the US) and the two visited South Africa way back in 1998 when Nelson Mandela was still president. They asked for audience with President Mandela. They were in the company of students from poverty stricken backgrounds and have done a lot through Amen Science. So on June 10th they were celebrating the 20th anniversary of the founding of this organization and at the same time recognized former president Mandela because in 1998 in South Africa, the year 1998 was dubbed as the year of science and technology. Mr. Nelson Mandela having enquired from Mr. Mbeti as to what they were doing in South Africa, with the young scientist in the making?. Mr. Mandela asked that “what you have done for the kids from poor backgrounds in the minority, I want you to do the same and make a similar contribution for the previously disadvantaged students from communities here in South Africa. And I can tell you that they promised the former president and they have been supporting schools in South Africa since 1998 with science and what have you. Even Mr. Mbeti owns a house in South Africa and hopefully you yourself will relocate to South Africa. Laughter and giggles.
AT: Your Excellency, let us look at the African Union today and the upcoming celebration of the A.U’s day of activity in May 2012. What is that about?
CN: As I said to you, you are probably aware that even the OAU and the founding fathers had this idea of United Africa. Africa is sub-divided into 5 regional groupings and now 5 regional economic communities- north, the east, the south, central and the west. There has always been the realization that we have brothers and sisters, whose ancestors were stolen from the continent of Africa. Hence they are in the Diaspora. They form the sixth region of the African Union. So with this realization, it seems that Africa will not have run a full circle without our brothers and sisters joining in. It is their continent and it’s our continent. For this reason South Africa was requested through a decision by the AU in 2006 that South Africa should host the Diaspora. And how befitting it is for the Diaspora summit which will be attended by heads of state descending from CARICOM countries, Africa and dignitaries coming from all over the world to Africa on a day regarded and celebrated as the Africa Day. That’s why Organization of African Unity (OAU) was founded in May of 1963. So it’s so befitting that we will see the leaders of the African brethren in the Diaspora all descending on South Africa on 25th May 2012.
AT: People wonder why it is so easy for us as Africans to live at peace with each other here but find it difficult to do on the continent. Any comments?
CN: My friend lack of development will always breed conflict. But what I can say is that times have changed. We have moved away but still have bad collaborators just like in any bag of potatoes or tomatoes you’ll find a few that are not right. Look at the number of elections, peaceful elections that have been conducted year after year on the continent. The day of President for life is over. When I was growing up, and I won’t mention names because some of those people have passed away, some of these people were proud to call themselves President for life, but now we have moved away from such mindset. Now , have we been ridden of that mindset completely, the answer is no. But I am happy to see democracy flourishing all over the continent. Multi party democracies, multi party elections taking place on the continent. Rome remember was not built in a day but there are so many success stories on the continent. The likes of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, you name it.
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They are too numerous to mention. But democracy is gaining grounds and you also see in North Africa the so called Arab spring and that civil society is no longer willing to give the other cheek and that’s how democracy comes into being. And that’s how even defenseless people in South Africa rose up against and dethroned the evil system of apartheid- a crime against humanity. Young kids carrying, I included carrying stones against roaring tanks. A super power then in Africa you know, that could conduct nightly raids, in the neighboring states just before the crack of dawn but confronted by defenseless bodies only carrying stones. And quite a number of members of civil society has learned from that experience in South Africa. It wasn’t easy, but with the support of the whole world, which also branded apartheid as crime against humanity and we are thankful to them. That you can stand up against whomsoever, however powerful a regime could be, it can be toppled by the voices of the masses, masses of oppressed people.
AT: Now to the first annual African soccer tournament your embassy is supporting, what are your expectations of the competition?
CN: The expectations from me is just to see the excitement that was generated, remember what the former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki said? When South Africa won the bid He made an announcement that the soccer world cup is not for South Africa. It’s for the continent of Africa and it generated excitement. Remember that throughout the Soccer buildup which lasted June/July, you will remember that quite a number of African footballers, Abedi Pele, and what have you were all ambassadors of soccer world cup 2010. It united the continent and the spinoffs can be seen throughout. Africa soccer enthusiasts descended on South Africa. So now, the upcoming African Soccer Community Event here in Los Angeles has also generated further excitement and I am very grateful to be part of this event. The organizers deserve a big pat on their shoulders. It keeps us as Africans in the Diaspora united. This is a mini world cup and it’s as befitting as it serves as a buildup to the Diaspora Summit to be held in South Africa in 2012. Keep up that spirit of unity, that spirit of togetherness that can be generated through sports and congratulations to a job well done and I am looking forward to seeing that.
AT: Would the South African team win?
CN: May the best team win. May the spirit of our founding fathers win at the end of the day. Not a particular team, but I think the game of soccer will emerge a winner for whomsoever wins.
AT: Any message for our readers?
CN: Africans, African brothers and sisters please unite wherever you are. In whatever corner, in whatever state that you are shine, rise and shine. Like the African brothers and sisters that are in this state of California living in Los Angeles and other counties brighten, always brighten the corner that you are in the words of a famous singer Ella Fitzgerald. I am convinced that our African brothers and sisters in the Diaspora will rise up to the occasion and of course they will brighten the corner in which they are which is the state of California.
AT: Your Excellency, we appreciate your time and hope to come again.
CN: Thank you Sir. Thank You.
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