The public discourse around Ambassador Zindzi Mandela’s recent social media comments has highlighted again the issues of the resilience of white supremacy, wounds of the past still not healed, a stalled land reform programme, and the broader failures of transformation in the post-apartheid era. These are all issues which the Foundation is addressing on a continuing basis through its dialogue and advocacy programmes.
We find unfortunate the controversy which has arisen over the Foundation’s communications on this matter.
What we have done in the past in instances like this, when the circumstances are appropriate, is to engage privately with the people concerned. Such engagement is to ensure that we better understand the issues involved and look for possible connections to our work. When our Director of Communications, Mr. Luzuko Koti, referred to the possibility of such engagement in relation to Ambassador Mandela, it was distressing to see the Foundation portrayed in the public as though it intended summoning Ambassador Mandela. Our subsequent statements were designed to make it clear that the Foundation had no intention of doing so.
It is regrettable that in these statements we denied referring to a possible engagement. We apologise unreservedly for that.
ENDS