Post date: Jun 28, 2013 2:14:47 PM
There are angry scenes outside Pretoria's U.S. Embassy at a protest held hours before President Barack Obama flies in for his South Africa visit.
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 28, 2013) (REUTERS) - Hundreds of demonstrators marched in Pretoria on Friday (June 28) to protest against Barack Obama's visit to South Africa, hours before he was due to arrive in Johannesburg.
The protesters, who were mostly from the 'NObama coalition', sang and held banners among which had the provocative words, "Obama - The White HouseKitchen Boy" whilst they marched from the South African government Union building to the U.S. embassy in Pretoria.Outside the U.S. embassy, protesters burned a U.S. flag.
The NObama coalition called for all South Africans to join a day of action against the U.S. President's visit.
The group is made up of the South African Communist Party, The Young Communist League of South Africa, South African Student Congress, the Congressof South African Trade Unions and some other smaller groups.
"Mandela valued human life, Mandela valued due process, Mandela would condemn extra-territorial and extra-judicial, Mandela would condemn drone attack and civilian deaths, he (Obama) cannot be Mandela's hero, he cannot be on that list, he must remove himself from that list," said Tayob Yousha from the Muslim Lawyers' Association in South Africa.
U.S. President Barack Obama heads to South Africa on Friday (June 28), hoping to see ailing icon Nelson Mandela, after wrapping up a visit to Senegal that focused on improving food security and promoting democratic institutions.
Obama is in the middle of a three-country tour of Africa that the White House hopes will compensate for what some view as years of neglect by the administration ofAmerica's first black president.
More demonstrations are expected throughout his visit in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
In the Houghton suburb of Johannesburg after Friday prayers, some Muslim South Africans said Obama had failed to meet expectations that he would become the U.S. equivalent of Nelson Mandela.
"Well Barack Obama being the first black American president, you know we all had great expectations that he was going to be another Mandela personality, he failed. Sadly he failed. Mandela is Mandela. He's done what the wold expected from him and he's delivered," said worshipper Mohammed Sayeed Badrodin.
Asked on Thursday (June 27) whether Obama would be able to pay the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela a visit in hospital, the White House said that was up to the family.
Obama sees Mandela, also known as Madiba, as a hero. Officials said his trip would serve largely as a tribute to the anti-apartheid leader.
The president arrives in South Africa Friday evening.