... and some have Greatness thrust
upon them.”
In
September 2006 I was p“rivileged to visit the historical city of Havana for a
second time, not as a mere tourist but as a member of the South African
delegation accompanying then President Thabo Mbeki as well as Deputy Foreign
Minister Aziz Pahad to the XIV NAM Summit. As the only member of the
Department aside from the PA of the Deputy Minister, my responsibility was to
arrange and manage all the bilaterals for both the Principal and the Deputy
Minister.
Air
Iberia had chosen to keep my luggage safely for me at OR Tambo Airport, only
delivering it 5 days later (day before my return flight). Being a
stranger in town, I had only managed to purchase in the hotel lobby one Cuban
shirt (collar recently replaced because of frequent and fond use),
Aside from that I had taken the precaution of carrying one T-shirt and one
dress shirt in my cabin bag. This left me rushing up and down the
Spanish-speaking corridors of a hot and humid Havana Conference Centre in
search of other delegations to arrange bilaterals with, wearing one shirt while
the other was in the hotel laundry, being readied for the next day.
And so it came to pass that I returned to my hotel room one night to realise
that I had forgotten my own birthday!
One
morning I was standing at the bottom of broad stairs leading up to the entrance
of the hotel, waiting for transport to the Conference Centre. I suddenly
felt myself shoved against a wall as a contigent of security personnel cleared
the way for what was evidently a descending dignatory, being led by an equally
important personality.; That is to say, important for those who were able
to recognise them - under which I did not count. The first was Leonel
Fernandez, President of the Dominican Republic, and the second was his Forein
Minister, Charles Savarin. Suddenly the Foreign Minister, for no
recognisable reason whatsoever, noted me in the crowd and abruptly started
redirecting his President towards me. Surprised delegates parted like the
Red Sea, while the Foreign Minister addressed both his President and a virage
of Spanish words in my direction, with hands stretched out to greet and
introduce the one and only me.
The
next morning I was again approached at breakfast by Minister Savarin, this time
to very politely appologise that he had confused me with our dear and very hard
working colleague Louis Pienaar, then Counsellor at our Mission in Havana
responsible for the Dominicanm Republic and in the process of arranging a visit
for them to South Africa. When I later relayed this adventure to Louis,
he typically only smiled demurely, neither commenting on his fame nor on the
fact that I had been mistaken for looking like him.
But
my true story does not end here. Of course in the
process of arranging bilaterals I was privileged to see, if seldom actually meet,
colourful personalities such as Raoul Castro, Hugo Chavez and Evo
Morales. The first ever female Head of Government of a Caribbean country,
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller of Jamaica had just assumed office
(and also sadly departed from office soon after). She had requested
a bilateral with Presiden Mbeki and I had to schedule a suitable time with the
Jamaican delegation seated in plenary. As I entered the hall I
realised that President Mbeki had the podium as Chair of the G77 and China Group.
But low and behold, he was addressing that great audience of Heads of State and
Government using words I recognised as my own! As NAM
Desk Officer I had been told by the Presidency to draft a speech, which Adv.
Pillay, the Personal Assistant, had received without any changes at all except
to insert a long introduction praising Comrade President Fidel Castro, then not
well enough to himself attend the Summit.
I was
literally, although unfortunately only privately, gloating in my own
greatness. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 cannons were exploding all around
me. Through the smoke of the discharge I did notice a
long-legged (further extended by very high heels) and very vivacious lady also
waiting in the entrance behind the rows of chairs. Furthermore, she
seemed to be observing me. Could it be that she knew I was the writer of
the speech being presented here by the same person who had equalled Martin
Luther King with his “I am an African” speech ?!! And indeed, as
President Mbeki concluded, she side-stepped in my direction and transfrormed
herself into a magical Jamaican mirage simply by asking me in her unmistakable
accent where I was from.
I
should not have answered. I tried to reflect much later on whether it was
a Flamenco or Tango dancer descending on me (probably the first), but her
response was an excited bestowing of the name “Nelson” on me and then flinging
her arms around me in a manner that completely disallowed any thought of
resistance. The bilateral was arranged soon after.
Sadly, the breakaway room was full to capacity and I was not allowed a second
chance. Not much later history in Jamaica also moved on without
her.
What
a privilege, as insignificant foreign affairs functionaries, to be afforded
so many opportunities to witness history and have greatness thrust upon
us.
Eli
(In fond memory of departed colleague
Annabel Haslop, who did know Fidel Castro).
~~o~~
