Dalai Lama to speak at 2010 ceremony

ÜGEN VOS

JOHANNEBSURG - In what appears to be a dramatic reversal, the office of the Presidency yesterday extended an official invitation to the Dalai Lama to address the opening ceremony of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Government spokesman Esther Eggheart yesterday confirmed that interim President Kgalema Mothlanthe had personally written to the Dalai Lama on Monday. The issue of a visa was unlikely to arise again, said Eggheart.

The Tibetan spiritual leader would, however, have to refrain from making any “political utterances” during his stay in South Africa, and his World Cup speech would be written by an ANC committee likely to include Ronnie Kasrils and Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

The Dalai Lama would be assigned an escort from the VIP Protection Unit “to ensure his personal safety” and to “ensure he doesn’t get into trouble”. He would “unfortunately not be able to fraternise with local Buddhists”, but would be given the chance to address members of the Rhema church.

The change of heart comes despite the Department of Foreign Affairs saying earlier that the Dalai Lama was not welcome in South Africa and would not be until “perhaps his next incarnation, hopefully well after the World Cup is over. We have nothing against him and wish him a long, long, long life”.

The government’s decision to withhold a visa from the Dalai Lama earlier this month was widely condemned. He was invited to attend a 2010 peace conference by Nobel peace laureates FW de Klerk, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela.

De Klerk, Tutu and Mandela subsequently withdrew from the event.

“It is government’s prerogative to issue any visa or not,” said Eggheart.

“You must remember we were never consulted about the March visit. Now we know all the facts and we are granting him a visa because we will be fully prepared. He will be registered in our books as a Chinese import.”

Asked to comment, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said: “Who is he? What does he want a visa for? What’s his credit rating?

“Why can’t he be satisfied with a Mastercard?”

In preparation for his visit, the ANC Youth League is practising toyi-toying to the chant of “Bring me OM-shini Wami, OM”.

Objections can be lodged until noon today.