As the frail Mr. Mandela, 91, basked in an affectionate welcome from Parliament, the contrast between the exalted promise of South Africa’s transition from apartheid to multiracial democracy and its messy, if vibrant, political present never seemed sharper.Mr. Zuma’s presidency has been shaken by his admission that despite his exhortations for South Africans to prevent the spread of H.I.V. by using condoms, he had unprotected sex with yet another 30-something daughter of a family friend, fathering a child out of wedlock.Mr. Zuma, 67, who has 20 children, 3 wives and a fiancé, apologized for the affair last weekend, several days after the story broke, and sought to reclaim the moral high ground on Thursday in a live televised speech before Parliament. He made no mention of the scandal, which has transfixed the nation and emboldened his critics, but repeatedly paid tribute to the man considered the father of the nation“President Mandela united this country behind the goal of a nonsexist, nonracial, democratic and prosperous South Africa,” Mr. Zuma said.After a day of pageantry to commemorate Mr. Mandela’s walk to freedom, Mr. Zuma strolled across a red carpet into the Parliament building in Cape Town to deliver his address.,,more..
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Mandela’s Release Anniversary
JOHANNESBURG — It was the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, a high point in South Africa’s history, but for the current president, Jacob Zuma, who delivered his state of the nation address on Thursday, the moment arrived at a low point in his own 10-month-old tenure. 
As the frail Mr. Mandela, 91, basked in an affectionate welcome from Parliament, the contrast between the exalted promise of South Africa’s transition from apartheid to multiracial democracy and its messy, if vibrant, political present never seemed sharper.Mr. Zuma’s presidency has been shaken by his admission that despite his exhortations for South Africans to prevent the spread of H.I.V. by using condoms, he had unprotected sex with yet another 30-something daughter of a family friend, fathering a child out of wedlock.Mr. Zuma, 67, who has 20 children, 3 wives and a fiancé, apologized for the affair last weekend, several days after the story broke, and sought to reclaim the moral high ground on Thursday in a live televised speech before Parliament. He made no mention of the scandal, which has transfixed the nation and emboldened his critics, but repeatedly paid tribute to the man considered the father of the nation“President Mandela united this country behind the goal of a nonsexist, nonracial, democratic and prosperous South Africa,” Mr. Zuma said.After a day of pageantry to commemorate Mr. Mandela’s walk to freedom, Mr. Zuma strolled across a red carpet into the Parliament building in Cape Town to deliver his address.,,more..
As the frail Mr. Mandela, 91, basked in an affectionate welcome from Parliament, the contrast between the exalted promise of South Africa’s transition from apartheid to multiracial democracy and its messy, if vibrant, political present never seemed sharper.Mr. Zuma’s presidency has been shaken by his admission that despite his exhortations for South Africans to prevent the spread of H.I.V. by using condoms, he had unprotected sex with yet another 30-something daughter of a family friend, fathering a child out of wedlock.Mr. Zuma, 67, who has 20 children, 3 wives and a fiancé, apologized for the affair last weekend, several days after the story broke, and sought to reclaim the moral high ground on Thursday in a live televised speech before Parliament. He made no mention of the scandal, which has transfixed the nation and emboldened his critics, but repeatedly paid tribute to the man considered the father of the nation“President Mandela united this country behind the goal of a nonsexist, nonracial, democratic and prosperous South Africa,” Mr. Zuma said.After a day of pageantry to commemorate Mr. Mandela’s walk to freedom, Mr. Zuma strolled across a red carpet into the Parliament building in Cape Town to deliver his address.,,more..
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