First Lady Michelle Obama with her daughter Sasha pictured here talking to NMF’s Sello Hatang and Sahm Venter
21 June, 2011
The United States First Lady Michelle Obama today visited the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Johannesburg on the first leg of her trip to South Africa and Botswana.
Accompanied by her mother Marian Robinson, her daughters Malia and Sasha and her niece Leslie and her nephew Avery, Mrs Obama met members of Mr Nelson Mandela’s family and his wife Graça Machel.
Sello Hatang and Sahm Venter, the co-editors of the soon to be released book, Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Quotations Book, presented Mrs Obama with an advance copy.
Hatang and the head of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, Verne Harris, showed the First Lady a display of archival items housed in the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory including prison desk calendars, notebooks and draft letters. She was introduced to the senior archivist, Razia Saleh.
Mrs Obama expressed appreciation for the display saying, “You are doing very important work.”
She then proceeded to Mr Mandela’s house where she paid him a courtesy call.
Mr Mandela and Michelle Obama read from his authorised book of quotations
Michelle Obama and her daughters Malia and Sasha with Mr Mandela
Graça Machel stands with Michelle Obama and the NMF’s Achmat Dangor
The NMF’s Verne Harris and Sello Hatang with Michelle Obama and her daughter Sasha