Mbeki’s the right man, says Mandela

Former South African president Nelson Mandela used a huge pop concert in London’s Trafalgar Square on Sunday to publicly throw his weight behind his successor, Thabo Mbeki, Reuters has reported.

Saying there was “no political crisis in South Africa”, Mandela told a cheering crowd of 20,000, many draped in South African flags, that South Africa was in good hands, and that the African National Congress (ANC) had never been as strong as it is now. “We have a president, Thabo Mbeki, who is intelligent and with a vision and who has united our country,” he was quoted as saying. Mandela was guest of honour at the Freedom Day concert held to mark the seventh anniversary of South Africa’s democracy.

Mandela had earlier renewed his support for Cyril Ramaphosa, Tokyo Sexwale and Mathews Phosa - the three politicians-turned-businessmen alleged to be at the head of a plot against Mbeki. He said he did not believe they were involved in a plot against Mbeki, whom he called a remarkable man worthy of a second term as president. He added, however, that he thought Ramaphosa was also capable of leading the country. The three have denied plotting to oust or harm Mbeki.

The concert, which featured American rock group REM, Spice Girl Mel B and several African performers, was a “thank-you” from South Africa for Britain’s help in ending 46 years of apartheid. “I am a proud and happy person to be here with the British people who have travelled the road to freedom with us. I am happy to be on Trafalgar Square, where some of the most important battles of liberating South Africa were fought,” Mandela told revellers after entering the stage with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.