Zuma in Davos
Jan. 26th, 2008 01:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nairiporter Zuma has fun in 'magic chair' at Davos
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20080125025211403C858475
Jacob Zuma charmed the international press here at a first round-table meeting with them at the World Economic Forum meeting on Thursday although both questions and answers were highly predictable.
It was Aids, the shower story, would he change course if he became president of the country and a very long ramble about Zimbabwe which had his listeners yawning.
Perhaps the only real news was what he thought of Davos.
In a word: "Fabulous!"
"Here people come together to discuss issues, not in a kind of straitjacket way, but where they feel free to share their deep feelings and impressions, to open up on issues even with those with whom they disagree, and try to find real solutions.
"I have enjoyed it.
"Listening to various people, scientists, politicians, academics, businesspeople articulate their views and being educated is wonderful.
"We had a good meeting together as South Africans and even as Africans on our own where we discussed issues of deep importance to the continent. We looked also at our failures, although it must be stressed that many of them are not only of our making and there is blame to be shared.
"Some failures were forced on us by the outside world."
Zuma said he had met the president of Nigeria in one-to-one discussions and looked forward to meeting many other leaders in the three days he will still stay in Davos.
Zuma has been asked for many interviews since his arrival but has been cautious in his remarks, mainly stressing that he is at the forum in this small Swiss Alpine village "to learn".
Punctiliously in time for all his other meetings, he was unfortunately half-an-hour late for his round-table with the media - not his fault, as Africa Director of the WEF Haiko Alfeld was quick to explain. "It was the snow, it seems," said Zuma, always the diplomat because it was actually the WEF's fault.
The first question came from veteran New York Times and Africa journalist Alan Cowell, who asked about Zuma's presidential ambitions, and reminded him that the chair in which he was sitting was where Russia's Dmitri Medvedev had sat at last year's WEF, and he was now going to be Russia's president.
Zuma gave the usual explanation about how he would go where the ANC asked him to serve as he was only the party's leader.
Then came the inevitable questions about his court case, to which he replied that charges do not mean you are guilty, and then an accusation that he had controversial views on Aids which he denied.
Then came the obligatory explanation of the government and party's views on the pandemic and how the World Health Council supported what the SA government had planned, followed by a question about Zimbabwe.
The London Times asked whether his approach would be different to Thabo Mbeki's. Then came a lengthy explanation of why South Africa was the only country still talking to Robert Mugabe, how much effort had been put in over the years and how Mbeki was still trying his best.
Zuma then added his own question: Why was Zimbabwe treated differently from the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi where there were also disasters, and why differently from Nigeria where elections were called rigged by everyone or indeed Kenya, where the same applied?
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20080125025211403C858475
Jacob Zuma charmed the international press here at a first round-table meeting with them at the World Economic Forum meeting on Thursday although both questions and answers were highly predictable.
It was Aids, the shower story, would he change course if he became president of the country and a very long ramble about Zimbabwe which had his listeners yawning.
Perhaps the only real news was what he thought of Davos.
In a word: "Fabulous!"
"Here people come together to discuss issues, not in a kind of straitjacket way, but where they feel free to share their deep feelings and impressions, to open up on issues even with those with whom they disagree, and try to find real solutions.
"I have enjoyed it.
"Listening to various people, scientists, politicians, academics, businesspeople articulate their views and being educated is wonderful.
"We had a good meeting together as South Africans and even as Africans on our own where we discussed issues of deep importance to the continent. We looked also at our failures, although it must be stressed that many of them are not only of our making and there is blame to be shared.
"Some failures were forced on us by the outside world."
Zuma said he had met the president of Nigeria in one-to-one discussions and looked forward to meeting many other leaders in the three days he will still stay in Davos.
Zuma has been asked for many interviews since his arrival but has been cautious in his remarks, mainly stressing that he is at the forum in this small Swiss Alpine village "to learn".
Punctiliously in time for all his other meetings, he was unfortunately half-an-hour late for his round-table with the media - not his fault, as Africa Director of the WEF Haiko Alfeld was quick to explain. "It was the snow, it seems," said Zuma, always the diplomat because it was actually the WEF's fault.
The first question came from veteran New York Times and Africa journalist Alan Cowell, who asked about Zuma's presidential ambitions, and reminded him that the chair in which he was sitting was where Russia's Dmitri Medvedev had sat at last year's WEF, and he was now going to be Russia's president.
Zuma gave the usual explanation about how he would go where the ANC asked him to serve as he was only the party's leader.
Then came the inevitable questions about his court case, to which he replied that charges do not mean you are guilty, and then an accusation that he had controversial views on Aids which he denied.
Then came the obligatory explanation of the government and party's views on the pandemic and how the World Health Council supported what the SA government had planned, followed by a question about Zimbabwe.
The London Times asked whether his approach would be different to Thabo Mbeki's. Then came a lengthy explanation of why South Africa was the only country still talking to Robert Mugabe, how much effort had been put in over the years and how Mbeki was still trying his best.
Zuma then added his own question: Why was Zimbabwe treated differently from the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi where there were also disasters, and why differently from Nigeria where elections were called rigged by everyone or indeed Kenya, where the same applied?
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Date: 2008-01-26 11:22 am (UTC)Unfortunately this does not compensate for policies.