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Thursday, June 23, 2011


Michelle Obama in South Africa....


South African President Jacob Zuma has refused to meet Michelle Obama during her five-day tour of Africa saying that he is too busy. The S.A leader snubbed the First Lady by sending his prisons minister to greet her at the airport and one of his three wives to meet her today. The brush off came as Mrs Obama granted a rare audience with Nelson Mandela on the opening day of her visit to Africa – her first major solo tour without her husband.

Arrival: Michelle Obama lands at Waterkloof Airforce Base, Pretoria, South Africa, for the start of her tour
The Obamas are welcomed in Pretoria at the start of their tour of South Africa and Botswana
She wore a bold black-and-orange printed top by Nigerian-born, London-based designer Duro Olowu for her arrival, with black trousers and bright blue patent ballerina flats.
Both her daughters, who were draped in South African flags as they stepped off the plane, echoed her look with bright patent ballet flats of their own.
The First Lady is joined by daughters Malia and Sasha. But the girls look tired after the long flight

Meeting: Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha met with Nelson Mandela at his home in Johannesburg
The First Lady, accompanied by her mother and two daughters, visited the 92-year-old former president and anti-apartheid leader, at his home in Johannesburg.  Current President Jacob Zuma was out of the country as Mrs Obama arrived on Monday night, but when he returned aides said he was ‘not available’ to meet her
Honour: Nelson Mandela was pictured on the couch next to Mrs Obama with a copy of his new book, ‘Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Quotations Book
Reading time: Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia take turns reading to children from ‘The Cat in the Hat’ as they visit the Emthonjeni Community Center in Johannesburg
Corrective Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula met Mrs Obama on her arrival in Pretoria on Monday, and one of his three wives, Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma, met her for about half an hour this morning. Mrs Ntuli-Zuma is one of the President’s three wives. There were two further wives who are no longer with him. He divorced Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in 1998. Kate Mantsho Zuma killed herself in 2000, after describing her marriage to him as ’24 years of hell’.  Mr Zuma is said to have more than ten children, and possibly as many as 19.  The White House said in a brief statement after the meeting that the two women talked about Mrs Obama’s trip and her schedule in South Africa.  The supposed snub comes as relations are tense between South
Africa and the U.S.
Feel the beat: Michelle Obama dances with children as she visits a community centre in Johannesburg
Greetings: The family tour makes a stop at a community centre in Johannesburg where they are welcomed by children
She likes to boogie: Michelle Obama’s daughters Sasha and Malia appeared not to be embarrassed as they visited the Emthonjeni Community Center in Zandspruit Township, Johannesburg 
Hello: Michelle Obama met with South African children on the first day of her five-day tour of Africa
Guests: Malia and Sasha Obama are embraced by children as they accompany the First Lady
Spectacle: Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia watch children dance
Let’s dance: Michelle Obama seemed to be feeling the groove more than any of her fellow dancers
Storytime: The First Lady and her daughters read books by Dr Seuss
Class: Michelle Obama meets children as she visits the Emthonjeni Community Center
Embrace: Michelle Obama hugs children during her visit to the Emthonjeni Community Center
Applause: Marian Robinson, mother of the First Lady, takes a bow after they danced with children during a visit to the Emthonjeni Community Center in Zandspruit Township

Good to meet you: Michelle Obama poses for a photo with young women leaders during a visit to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg

Tour: Michelle Obama, along with daughters Sasha and Malia, visit the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg
Respect: Michelle Obama stands with Malia as she visits the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg
Why is he not meeting the head of state of an African country who is coming to South Africa? Because he has a schedule.’
Earlier today the Obama family met with Nelson Mandela. Mrs Obama was on a visit to the offices of Mandela’s foundation when he sent word that he wanted to meet them.
A healthy-looking Nelson Mandela spent about 20 minutes meeting with Mrs Obama and her daughters Malia, 12 and Sasha, 10.
A photo showed the 92-year-old sitting on a couch next to Mrs Obama, pen in hand to sign an advance copy of his new book, ‘Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Quotations Book’.
Mr Mandela was wearing one of his trademark shirts, richly patterned and buttoned at the neck.

Home: The First Family made a private visit to Nelson Mandela’s home in Johannesburg

Trip: Michelle Obama stands with daughter Sasha, her mother Marian Robinson, and Graca Machel, wife of Nelson Mandela, as they are shown artefacts from Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment
History: Michelle Obama stands with Sello Hatang of the Nelson Mandela Foundation during her visit in Johannesburg
Present: Sello Hatang and Sahm Venter from the Nelson Mandela Foundation present Mrs Obama and Sasha with Nelson Mandela’s newest book ‘Nelson Mandela by Himself’
Special surprise: Michelle Obama had been scheduled to meet with Nelson Mandela’s wife Graca Machel
Greeting: Michelle Obama met with one of South Africa’s three First Ladies, Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma in Pretoria
Michelle Obama meets one of the South African President’s three wives in Pretoria


Gift: The First Lady receives flowers as she arrives at Mahlamba Ndlopfu in Pretoria