President Zuma:
Good morning, ladies and
gentlemen of the media -- good friends also. Mr. President, let me
welcome you, your family, and your delegation
to South Africa. This is your second
visit to South Africa, and your first as President
of the United States. We are delighted to host you. Let me also congratulate you
on a reelection as President of the United States. Our talks have taken place
against the background of the ill health of our beloved
former President Nelson Mandela, the founding President
of our democracy, who is much loved by our
people and the world. I know that he is your personal
hero as well, Mr. President. The two of you are
also bound by history -- as the first black Presidents
of your respective countries -- thus, you both carry the dreams
of millions of people in Africa and in the diaspora who
were previously oppressed. We continue to pray for Madiba's
good health and wellbeing. As we prepare to celebrate 20
years of freedom and democracy in April next year, we extend
our deepest gratitude to the Anti-Apartheid Movement in the United
States for solidarity. Mr. President, as a student you
also participated actively in campaigns against apartheid,
especially promoting dismantlement and disinvestment
from apartheid South Africa of the investments that
had been made in the history by the United States. We are pleased to
be working with you today with a common goal
of expanding trade relations between our two countries. We are in essence shifting from
disinvestment to reinvestment in the era of freedom
and democracy. Mr. President, you are visiting
Africa at the right time. Africa is rising. It is the second-fastest
growing region after Asia, and has become an attractive
market for investment, thus the United States' strategy
towards sub-Saharan Africa that you launched last year is
well timed to take advantage of this growing market. We already see immense value in
our strategic partnerships such as BRICS and IBSA, and
look forward to strengthening the U.S.-Africa partnership. We are pleased with the growing
bilateral trade and investment. There are 600 U.S.
companies in South Africa, which have created
in excess of 150,000 jobs. The U.S. is also
a major export market for South African products. South Africa, in turn, is
your biggest market in Africa, accounting for more than
7 billion U.S. dollars of exports. We affirm the need for the
extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act,
which expires in 2015. Our mutual trade has reached
the levels preceding the global recession
largely due to the Act. Arising out of this visit, we
would like to see increased investment in the South African
economy for mutual benefit. We have placed on the
table bankable projects, which range from infrastructure
development to skills development for the youth, and
also across a number of sectors, like information and
communication technologies, agriculture, and
the green economy. We have urged that underpinning
these investments should be the drive for regional
integration, industrialization, and localization of
supply and manufacture. Mr. President, youth
development is a key focus area for South Africa given that
a third of our population is under the age of 15. This is a key feature of our
national development plan. Therefore, we welcome our
cooperation in education, especially the School Capacity
and Innovation Program, as well as investment in primary
education and teacher training. It is also our wish to extend
cooperation on vocational training to develop our Further
Education and Training Colleges. We acknowledged the ongoing
cooperation in the area of defense under the auspices
of the South Africa-U.S. Defense Committee and the
training of the security services in crime fighting. We have lauded the successful
health cooperation under the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief --
funding to address HIV and AIDS and other infectious diseases, which has contributed to the
successes and increase in life expectancy. On promoting
the African agenda, we reaffirm our
common commitment to strengthening
democratic governance and advancing the protection of
human rights on the continent. We would like to
cooperate with the U.S. in enhancing peace building and
post-conflict reconstruction and development cooperation, under the umbrella
of the United Nations and the African Union. We are concerned about the
mushrooming of rebel movements in some countries
in the continent at a time when the AU
is promoting adherence to its policy of zero tolerance for
people who come to office through unconstitutional means. This is a threat to our hard-won
peace in many countries in the continent. Mr. President, we are encouraged
by the relaxation of sanctions on Zimbabwe
by the U.S. government, and urge further
steps in this regard as it will strengthen
the economy of Zimbabwe. We are hopeful that
the African Union, with the support of the
international community, will find solutions
to the challenges we face in the Democratic Republic
of Congo, Mali, Niger, and Central African
Republic and Somalia. Solutions that are African-led
will be able to yield results. The problems in the Sahel
region arise primarily from the manner in which the U.N. Security Council handled the
Libyan situation. There are lessons to be
learned in the episode. We have talked about
this in our meeting. Mr. President, South Africa
remains concerned at the lack of progress in the Middle
East peace process. We unequivocally support the
Palestinian bid for statehood, and believe in the principle
of a two-state solution. We have noted your latest
attempts to revive the stalled negotiations, and you have
our support in this regard. At the same time, we are of the
view that a lasting peace in the Middle East would not be
possible without addressing the other ongoing conflicts
in the region, which are a source of much
insecurity and instability. We are encouraged by the
positive steps you have taken, Mr. President,
to relax longstanding restrictions on Cuba. I further urge
you, Mr. President, in light of the economic and
financial challenges in the U.S. and in the eurozone to encourage
our traditional supporters not to abandon their
pledges to Africa. Let me also add that the reform
of the United Nations Security Council is long overdue
and remains a high priority to South Africa, the African continent
and the developing world as a whole. Finally, Mr. President, I wish
to reiterate South Africa's commitment to the
relationship with the USA. I'm happy that you will visit
Robben Island during your visit, which was home to Madiba and
many Freedom Fighters in our country for decades. I wish you a pleasant and
productive stay in South Africa for the remainder of your visit. We are truly honored to
host you, Mr. President. And I thank you. I now invite you, Mr.
President, to address the media. You have the floor. President Obama:
Well, thank you so
much, Mr. President, for your generous words
and your kind welcome. It is wonderful to be
back in South Africa. As you mentioned,
I had the pleasure of visiting South Africa before when I was a U.S. senator. Michelle and our daughters
were here just two years ago. And we're now thrilled
to be back as a family. And I know that the
press corps, by the way, is happy to be here because
this is much more elegant than the White House press room. (Laughter.) It's a big improvement. I have to begin, of course,
by saying that our thoughts -- and those of Americans and people all around the world -- are with Nelson Mandela
and his family, and all South Africans. The struggle here against
apartheid, for freedom; Madiba's moral courage; this
country's historic transition to a free and democratic nation has been a personal
inspiration to me. It has been an inspiration
to the world -- and it continues to be. In so many regions that
are divided by conflict, sectarian disputes,
religious or ethnic wars, to see what happened
in South Africa -- the power of principle
and people standing up for what's right
I think continues to shine as a beacon. And so the outpouring of love
that we've seen in recent days shows that the triumph of Nelson
Mandela and this nation speaks to something very deep
in the human spirit -- the yearning for
justice and dignity that transcends boundaries
of race and class and faith and country. That's what Nelson
Mandela represents. That's what South
Africa, at its best, can represent to the world. And that's what
brings me back here, on what will be a two-day trip
in which I have an opportunity to meet with a whole range of
leaders here in South Africa. The President and I have enjoyed
our company quite a bit in the G20 and in various
multilateral forums. Usually, unfortunately,
when we're meeting there is some crisis going on
around the world. We had a more leisurely
conversation today. And we both agreed that the
state of bilateral relations between the United States
and South Africa are extraordinarily strong. As one of the BRICS, South
Africa's growth reflects the new realities of
a global economy. And we welcome that; we
don't simply recognize it. That's one of the reasons why
I institutionalized the G20 -- because it reflects the reality
of today's world and today's economy, and the need for this
continent to be represented in any discussions about the
direction of the world economy. So the United States views South
Africa as a critical partner. And, Mr. President,
I very much appreciate our personal friendship
and partnership. As you've noted, Africa is on
the rise and South Africa is always at the forefront
of trends in Africa. I see South Africa as critical
to one of my top priorities on this trip -- and that is to
promote trade and investment that helps unleash economic
growth here in Africa, and ultimately will benefit
the United States of America. We export more products to South
Africa than any other nation in sub-Saharan Africa. Hundreds of companies,
as you noted, operate here in South Africa. South African
companies are investing back in the United States -- like Sasol, with plans
for billions of dollars in investment in U.S.
energy and manufacturing, including my home
state of Illinois. And as the largest
economy in the region, growth here can drive
growth all across Africa. So I want our countries to be
doing more business together. And one of the things that
I've said to our press corps during this trip is that,
all too often, attention is only paid to
Africa when there is a crisis. But, in fact, six of
the ten largest economies in the world -- or six of the ten
fastest-growing economies in the world are in Africa. There's enormous
progress being made and enormous
potential to be made. But obviously we have
a lot more work to do, and I think we can do
it better together. Today, almost all
of South Africa's exports to the United States --
98 percent -- already enter our
markets duty-free. And I told President Zuma that
I want to renew but also improve and update the African Growth
and Opportunity Act so we're generating more
trade and more jobs. I've got to be able to show
American companies that are operating on a level playing
field when they invest or are trying to export
into South Africa. So we're going to make sure that
our trade negotiators have a serious conversation about how
we get a win-win formula that delivers jobs and opportunity
for people here in South Africa and also in the United States. Our commitment to progress
and human dignity extends to our shared efforts
to combat HIV/AIDS. Since I took office, we've
continued the good work of PEPFAR, and we've
built on it. So, here in South Africa,
we're delivering antiretroviral treatments
to 1.6 million people, which along with our prevention
efforts is helping to save millions of lives. And I want to commend South
Africa for its outstanding leadership on this issue. Within a few years, South Africa
will become the first country in Africa to fully manage its
HIV care and treatment program, and the United States will
increasingly focus on prevention and strengthening
public health systems. So this is an example of how
rather than a one-way street of aid to Africa, instead this is a partnership
of equals working together to solve
common challenges. And that's what we need to
see in all areas of endeavor. We're working together
to advance the dignity of all of our citizens. Since opportunities for
women and girls means greater prosperity for everybody, I'm
hopeful that we will be able to welcome South Africa to our
Equal Futures Partnership -- an effort internationally to
make sure that every country is committed to developing the
possibilities and opportunities for women and for girls. Some people know that
my mother was involved in international development. She taught me when
I was very young: You can measure how
well a country does by how well it
treats its women. If it's educating its women
and giving them opportunities, that country does well. When they do not, that
country does not advance. And I believe that. So I also want to commend
your Parliament for passing a landmark law to combat the
modern slavery that is human trafficking -- something that is still a
crisis around the world. This afternoon I'll be in Soweto
to announce a major expansion of our initiative to invest
in the young Africans who will shape this country, and this continent,
for decades to come. And, regionally, I want to thank
South Africa for being a leading voice in the African Union --
from promoting peace between Sudan and South Sudan to
encouraging economic cooperation across the continent. As the President mentioned, we discussed the situation
in Zimbabwe. And President Zuma has played an
important role in the region's mediation efforts. We agreed that the harassment
of citizens and groups needs to stop, and reforms need to
move forward so the people of Zimbabwe can cast their votes
in elections that are fair, and free, and credible. We also discussed the Congo,
where I've assigned a new U.S. envoy to the
region, Russ Feingold, a former senator and chairman
of the Africa committee. He's going to lead our efforts in support of the
framework for peace. And the United States and South
Africa agree that all nations should implement the commitments
under that framework, quickly, to bring the tragedy
of the Congo to an end. And, finally, as
President Zuma mentioned, we discussed a range
of global challenges. Our governments don't
agree on every issue; no two countries do. But we've seen the progress
that we can make together -- on nuclear security,
on climate change. Given South Africa's history and given what it
represents to the world, and given the
interests we share -- as democracies that believe in
constitutions and rule of law, and human rights and the
dignities of all people -- I believe that we can stand
shoulder to shoulder for issues of security and justice
and human rights. And I believe that when the
United States and South Africa stand together on an issue
in multilateral fora, it's hard to resist. It's hard to resist. So, President Zuma,
I want to thank you for welcoming me here today. I want to thank for you for the
work that we've done together. It is a great joy for me to be
visiting and spending time here in South Africa. I've had occasion to visit
Robben Island myself, but for me to be able to
bring my daughters there and teach them the history of
that place and this country, and help them to understand not
only how those lessons apply to their own lives but also to
their responsibilities in the future as citizens
of the world, that's a great privilege
and a great honor. So I thank you. And to all the people
of South Africa, there is enormous affection
and admiration for you in the United States, and I hope that I adequately
express that during my visit. - Thank you very much,
your excellencies. We will now take questions. The Press:
Warm greetings
to both Presidents. I'll ask the questions
to both Presidents. Maybe starting with
President Obama -- you have come to Africa,
to South Africa, of course to boost
and strengthen trade. So perhaps someone saying, well,
the United States is somehow frightened because there are
other players who are coming to Africa, especially China;
China is not only coming here in word but also in deed. So is perhaps President
Obama not threatened that the leading role that
(inaudible) is in Asia? And the other quick question,
President Obama -- South Africa's bid to
U.N. Security Council, should it come, will the
United States support it? Is it at the U.N.? To President Zuma,
you, as the leading voice, as President Obama
has indicated, on the African continent in
trying to bring stability and peace, we have seen
some pockets of rebels, as you indicated in Congo,
in Mali, and elsewhere. So what sort of
assistance, perhaps, have you asked from
President Obama -- I mean, as America is one
of the advanced countries that can help in many areas? Thank you. President Obama:
Well, first of all,
I'm here in Africa because I think the United
States needs to engage in a continent full
of promise and possibility. I think it's good for
the United States, regardless of what others do. I actually welcome the attention
that Africa is receiving from countries like China
and Brazil, and India, and Turkey --
because, number one, the more interest
they show in Africa, the more tools we have and
mechanisms we have to further incorporate Africa into
the global economy, which has the potential
of creating jobs and businesses and opportunity. So I don't feel
threatened by it. I think it's a good thing. Now, I do think that it's
important for Africans to make sure that
these interactions are good for Africa, because -- let me just take the
example of natural resources. I think there's been a long
history of extracting resources from Africa; you
take raw materials, you send them to someplace else
where they get used, processed, sometimes sold back to Africa. The profits stay there,
the jobs stay there, and not much stays in Africa. There's a long history of that. Well, the truth is, the
United States, at this point, on issues of energy,
for example, frankly, we don't need
energy from Africa. Because of advances
that have been made, we're seeing oil production
and natural gas production, as well as clean energy
production all growing at a rapid rate in
the United States. So our primary interest when it
comes to working with Africa on energy issues has to do
with how do we power Africa so that it can be
an effective market creating jobs and
opportunity in Africa, but then we also then
have somebody to trade with and sell iPods to,
and airplanes, and all kinds of good stuff. (Laughter.) So when we look at what other
countries are doing in Africa, I think our only
advice is make sure it's a good deal for Africa. If somebody says they want
to come build something here, are they hiring African workers? If somebody says that
they want to help you develop your natural resources, how much of the money
is staying in Africa? If they say that they're
very interested in a certain industry, is the manufacturing
and value added done in Africa? Are they tolerating corruption
that's not benefiting the people but just benefiting a few at the
top in their interactions with African countries? Those are the questions
Africa should be asking. And hopefully, one of the
things that we can do is, in our interactions, as a
country that doesn't have a colonial history here,
as a country that has made large investments in development
on issues like HIV/AIDS, hopefully we can garner some
trust when people ask us what are the kinds of development
strategies that are going to be sustaining
over the long term. But, as I said, I want
everybody playing in Africa. The more, the merrier. I think that's good. And it gives Africans leverage,
which I think is useful. But again, ask those
questions; don't just assume that folks come here and they're automatically benefiting Africans. And that includes
that United States. Ask questions in
terms of what we do. With respect to
the United Nations, President Zuma and I discussed
the fact that just as I wanted to institutionalize the G20
because it's more reflective of the world, I think the United
Nations structure -- which was created post-World War II --
is going to have to be updated. How we do that, in what
fashion, is complicated. It's difficult. And it involves all
kinds of politics. I will say this -- that an
expansion of, let's say, the Security Council, in which
the continent of Africa had no representation would be odd. But how that moves forward is
something that I think will involve a lot of negotiations
and a lot of discussions. And the one thing that I shared
with President Zuma is everybody wants a seat at the table, but
when it comes time to step up and show responsibility,
sometimes people want to be free riders. They love sitting around the
table deciding what to do, except when it comes to bearing
the burdens, bearing the costs, sometimes sharing the blame for
difficult decisions that have to be made, then suddenly, well,
I'm neutral, I'm not aligned. Don't ask me to -- I'm not
referring to South Africa particularly -- I'm just saying,
countries generally like the idea of being part of foras,
but one of the things that the United States has done -- and
obviously we're not perfect -- but our seat at the table comes
by virtue of the fact that we bear a lot of responsibility. If there's a crisis in
the world, people ask us, what are you doing about it? They ask, why haven't you
intervened militarily? You're letting people die. And if we intervene
militarily, they ask, why did you
intervene militarily? They ask us to foot the bill
-- and the expectation is, why aren't you footing the bill? If there's poverty or crisis
or a humanitarian disaster, the natural expectation
immediately is, what's the United States doing? Now, we shoulder
that burden gladly. We think that's part of
our responsibilities. We have been incredibly blessed. But the simple point I make -- and I say this
everywhere I go -- is with rights come
responsibilities and burdens, and it's not always comfortable,
and you can't always make everybody happy. It's like being
President of a country. (Laughter.) President Zuma:
Absolutely. Well, thank you very much. Firstly, the question of
Africa and its history and the developments globally I think should be taken for
what they are -- without assumptions. Today we are talking about
the globalized world. If the world is globalizing,
why should there be a question about Africa -- that Africa
must remain somewhere, when everybody is
working together really? I think since the
end of the Cold War, the world is working together. There is no country
that is isolated. China has a lot of
relations with the UK, USA, Africa as a region. Why must it be singled out
for some views, so to speak? I don't think in my
own understanding, much as the question
understandable, but I think it's being
unfair to Africa. Why should Africa be told
to whom it must have relations with, and not
this one and that one? I don't think that talks to our
acceptance of globalization. We're globalizing, and Africa
must be part of globalization. And you can't say we are
globalizing because we have relations with certain
regions, not other regions; and if we have relations
with other regions then we are questioned. Nor do I think countries that
come to interact with Africa should be questioned --
why are you doing it? I think it is in the nature of
globalization that, in fact, Africa is saying it can
no longer be bypassed by events that change the world. We are part of it. And that's why we relate
to the bigger countries, bigger economies. We want the relationship, as
President Obama was saying, that benefits both. Because, historically, the kind of relations we
had with other regions were one-sided. All what the President
was saying -- that we want localization
to be taken into account, whoever is trying to
make relations with us, beneficiation of our resources
so that they benefit us. We ourselves, as
another kind of area, we have said we need to do trade
among ourselves -- intra-trade in continent of Africa, where
are putting our five economic regions together so that we
work as a continent together. We are having massive program in
terms of the infrastructure to implement what
you're talking about, to create that
necessary platform, so that whoever comes
to invest we don't ask, are you an American,
are you Chinese -- no. We enter into the relationship
that must benefit both. And I'm happy that the United
States shares that view as well. So that is how these
interactions are interpreted insofar as the African
continent is concerned. We have been growing to
speak with one voice, and we are now speaking in
one voice as a continent. And that's why we look at those who tried to put one
country (inaudible). That's why even in the relation
that we have with other regions, we are trying to do them as a
unit, as an entity, as a region, rather than as
individual countries. So that's what is happening. So we don't regard to those who
come to us that they're coming here because of other
reasons that we don't know. We take them genuinely that
you're establishing relations that must benefit us, who must
also appreciate the history of the continent where we come from
-- why we are lagging behind, what is that they could do
to help us in terms of the relationships that we have
to move forward as well. With regard to the issue of
United Nations Security Council, I again agree with the President
that really this institution was done in the mid-40s, when
many countries did not exist; they did not participate
in drawing up the rules and regulations. Things have changed. The world is different today. We can't continue with
those kind of conditions. It does not reflect the reality
of what is happening today. And that's why we believe
each and every region must be represented at all levels
so that we can be part of decision-making in this
internationally important body. So the process is important
that it is looked at, but also should be
realistic -- because, again, once we say we need that,
as the President was saying, we don't want people who are
just going to come and sit there and enjoy status. Countries must be
looked at, or regions. Why should countries be members
of this important body that take financial decision? Do they have a
contribution to make? What is it that is going to
be used as a criteria for countries, individual countries,
let alone the regions, as to why this particular
country must be a member? Those are matters I think those
who are in the national -- or the AU and national
security council -- U.N. Security Council, rather, they must begin to discuss
those matters. What is it that you are going
to say are important criteria to say this country can come
so that we help the process? Because if big countries
are not talking about it, you then allow the process to
stay there and people saying all sorts of things. Even the smallest countries,
they have got the right to say something. But they may be expecting to
be there and they may have no contribution to make. I'm not saying other countries
can't -- they can -- but we are talking about
an institution that take very
decisive decisions about the life
of this globe. So I'm just saying I would be
happy if this matter is pushed quicker so that final
decisions are taken. On question regarding whether we
discussed what the United States could do to help Africa and the
processes that it is trying to help itself economically,
security situation, et cetera -- we discussed
that and we have agreed. And I'm very happy -- their
agreement is very clear -- that Africa has said we need
the Africa-led kind of processes, and that others should
help support that process. And we are at one with
President Obama on that one, and it's absolutely correct,
so that we should be supported. We are looking at
very specific things. One of them is the
issue, for example, of this new trend of
rebels in the continent. We need to do something to
stop it -- because if it's not stopped, it could be
another huge chapter, like the chapter
of coups in Africa, and we want to
nip it in the bud. And therefore, the last summit
of the AU took a decision and asked countries to volunteer --
who could be part of a standby force to act immediately
if there is an action, to deal with it. And we would want big countries
like the United States to support us in those
kinds of actions. And I think we are in
agreement with that one. Thank you very much. The Press:
Thank you, Mr. President. I wanted to first see if you
could comment on the situation in Egypt and the U.S. concern
about protests there. And also, politics in Kenya
appear to have affected your ability to travel
there despite family ties. Can you reflect personally
on not being able to go to the country where your
father was born? And what does a situation
in Kenya and in places like Zimbabwe say about the
difficulties of fulfilling Nelson Mandela's vision for
democracy on the continent? And President Zuma, a
similar question for you. Given your country's high
unemployment and other social challenges, is the ANC
in its current form living up to Mandela's legacy? Thank you. President Obama:
Well, on Egypt, obviously we're
all looking at the situation there with concern. The United States has
supported democracy in Egypt. It has been challenging given
that there is not a tradition of democracy in Egypt. And the Egyptian people
have been finding their way. Our most immediate concern with
respect to protests this weekend have to do with our
embassies and consulates. And so we have been in direct
contact with the Egyptian government, and we have done a
whole range of planning to make sure that we're doing everything
we can to keep our embassies and consulates protected,
and our diplomats and personnel there safe. But, more broadly, what we've
said publicly and what we've said privately is that we
support peaceful process -- or peaceful protests
and peaceful methods of bringing about
change in Egypt. I think every party has
to denounce violence. We'd like to see the opposition
and President Morsi engaged in a more constructive conversation
around how they move their country forward, because nobody
is benefiting from the current stalemate that exists there. And we do not take sides in
terms of who should be elected by the Egyptian people. We do take sides in terms
of observing a process for democracy and rule of law. And that all the players there
engage in the necessary tough compromises so that they can
start focusing on the things that probably matter most
to the ordinary Egyptian, which is jobs, energy
costs, food costs, housing, schooling for their kids,
creating economic opportunity. And Egypt, I think, for the
last year and a half, two years, has had great difficult
focusing on those vital issues. So, again, top priority: Making
sure that our embassies and consulates are prepared
for this wave of protests. Number two, we are supportive
of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly inside of Egypt,
but we would urge all parties to make sure that they're
not engaging in violence, and that police and military are
showing appropriate restraint. And number three, how do we make
sure that we get this political process back on track. And that's a difficult
and challenging situation. But Egypt is the largest
country in the Arab world, and I think the entire region
is concerned that if Egypt continues with this
constant instability, that that has adverse
effects more broadly. Your second question -- Kenya. There has just been an election
in Kenya that thankfully did not see the same kind of violence
as the previous election; a newly installed President,
but let's be honest, a situation in which this new
government was still working out issues with the
international community, in part dating back to
the previous election. And the timing was not right
for me as the President of the United States to be visiting
Kenya when those issues are still being worked
on and, hopefully, at some point resolved. And we believe that Kenya
needs to abide by various international commitments
that it's made. Having said that, Kenya is one
of our oldest partners in the continent. We have outstanding
bilateral relations. The people-to-people contacts
between the United States and Kenya remain
extraordinarily strong. We work with them on all sorts
of issues -- economic, security, youth exchanges -- you name it. And that will continue. And my personal ties to the
people of Kenya by definition are going to be strong
and will stay strong. And I have been to Kenya
multiple times in the past, and I expect I will be in Kenya
multiple times in the future, and will continue to be deeply
concerned with the progress that's made in that country. And I think it has
enormous potential. Kenya is like South Africa --
this is a country blessed with incredible resources, incredible
beauty, brilliant people. There have been times in the
past where government held back progress, and then sometimes
ethnic conflict held back progress. And obviously, prior to that,
colonialism and racism sometimes held back progress. But the future for Kenya, like
the future of the continent, is potentially bright, and the
United States wants to be a partner in that process. Did you have a third
question for me? The Press:
How the situation in Kenya and
also in places like Zimbabwe, will they speak to (inaudible)? President Obama:
Well, absolutely. Look, Nelson Mandela
showed what is possible, and the people of South Africa
have shown what's possible when a priority is placed on
constitutions, and rule of law, and respect for human dignity,
and that all people are treated equally, and that we rise
above our parochial concerns. And what Nelson Mandela also
stood for is the recognition that the wellbeing of a country
is more important than the interest
of any one person. One of the reasons that George
Washington is our most-admired President is because after
two terms he said, enough, I'm going to back
to being a citizen. And if you look at U.S. history, there was no rule at
the time in the Constitution, there were no term limits. And he was so popular, he could
have easily been President of the United States for life,
but he said, I'm a citizen; I served my time,
I engaged my service, and then it's time
for the next person -- because that's what
a democracy is about. And Nelson Mandela, similarly,
I think was able to recognize, despite how revered he was, that
part of this transition process was to make sure that it was
bigger than just one person -- even one of the greatest
people in history. What an incredible
lesson that is. And so I think for
the entire continent, for every leader -- not just
in Africa -- for every leader around the world to think
about those principles, that governance for the people
has to be based on constitutions and rules in which every person
is treated equally and nobody is above the law; and
that we as leaders, we occupy these
spaces temporarily, and we don't get so deluded that
we start thinking that the fate of our countries depends on
how long we stay in office. When you have that
as a foundation, and then you start building in
transparency and accountability, and good governance and
delivering services for people, then you've got a
recipe for success. And the economy then starts
booming and the private sector starts being effective. And so my hope would be that
every country around the world, but certainly in Africa, can
benefit from those lessons. If you look at Zimbabwe, it
used to be one of the wealthiest countries on the continent. And bad governance has led
to an economic disaster. It's now starting to come back. And thanks to the work of
people like President Zuma, there's an opportunity now to
move into a new phase where perhaps Zimbabwe can finally
achieve all its promise. But that requires fair
and free elections, and it requires those currently
in power in Zimbabwe to recognize that the
interests of all people have to be served there. President Zuma:
With regard to the
question directed to me -- whether the ANC government is
still in keeping with Mandela's beliefs -- absolutely, yes. I know that people at times
forget that we have not changed policy -- we are pursuing
policies that were crafted together with Mandela as we
started our democracy in 1994. What we've been doing is
to enhance those policies, deepen them. And I believe if you
look at South Africa, and perhaps if you take
the continent of Africa, in 19 years we have made such
progress that no country in the continent has ever made in
the history of decolonization. And I've had an opportunity,
perhaps because of the job that I've been given,
that when Madiba was a pensioner sitting at his home, I visited
him very regularly, firstly to report to him as
one of the leaders of the ANC, but also to check how he
feels about the situation. He has been expressing happiness
-- actually commending what has been done in terms of this
government that he started. So I have no doubt that what
we've been doing is part of what Mandela would be
doing if he was here. You know, when people
at times we forget, they've been criticizing
our economic policies of mixed economy. It is actually Mandela who
led us into that policy -- the mixed economy. And others say, look, Mandela
was for nationalization of X,Y,Z. Mandela debated that
issue in the circumstances and said this is
the route to take. So we are pursuing the dreams
and policies that Mandela was part of, and we'll
continue to do so. We're happy. He is happy. In fact, on some of the visits I
made before his health changed, he was saying, you know,
when I go to sleep I will be very happy,
because I know that I left South Africa
moving forward. So other people could
have other views, but Mandela has a clear view
that we are together on these issues. He has never been
afraid to debate issues, even if it was
out of government, when he must have felt something
has not been done properly. So we are happy as
government, as the ANC, that we are moving
in the footsteps of former President Mandela. Thank you very much. The Press:
Thank you, Mr. President. President Zuma, thank you
for being a great host. And I wonder if you can
give us any news overnight, any update on President
Mandela's health that you may know about. And I wonder if you can -- you
mentioned the shared history of President Obama
and President Mandela -- first black President
of each nation. What do you think President
Obama's legacy in this continent in future years will be? And, President Obama,
you mentioned -- and I think the phrase was, "We occupy these
spaces temporarily." You almost reached six
months in your second term. And on foreign policy,
you heard about the violence in Egypt, Turkey, Syria. China and Russia -- kind of a complicated
relationship right now. How do you prioritize
all of that? What are your top two
or three foreign policy goals in your final three
and a half years? And on the home front,
student loans, gun control, balanced budget deal
have been elusive. Are you disappointed? But on immigration reform
you've cleared one big hurdle in the Senate. But Speaker Boehner is
suggesting he's going to wait a while. Are you going to push him? What's your next step? Do you push him to
deal with this quickly, or are you going to
give him more time? Or do you push him quickly to
stick to your summer deadline of getting it done by
the end of the summer? Thank you. President Zuma:
Thank you. Well, the position
of former President Mandela in terms of his health,
he remains critical but stable. So nothing has changed so far. That's where the situation is. But we are hoping that
it is going to improve. And I think with all the prayers
and good wishes that have been made,
it certainly must do something. As you have seen even in
the country and abroad, everyone is wishing Mandela
well, a speedy recovery. And the doctors who are tending
to him are doing everything, and these are
very excellent doctors who are dealing with him. So we place our hopes as well
that they will do better. We hope that very soon he
will be out of hospital. With regard to what do
we think will be the legacy of President Obama, I always avoid to talk
about legacies of people who are still there, generally. (Laughter.) President Obama:
Thank you. (Laughter.) President Zuma:
People always ask me -- how can I judge my legacy? It's better judged when a
person has done the job. But I think what President
Obama is doing right now, I think he's focused
on the continent. And his approach to,
in terms of policy, to how will he work together
with the continent in terms of helping the continent to move
forward as a leading country in the world and as a leading
democracy has helped to deepen and enhance
democracy in the continent. That, I think, will
be an important one. As you know, the United States
has been looked at as a country that could play a role in
influencing the proper direction in the continent of Africa. I think that will be
a very good legacy -- that when we judge it -- at the right time
that we judge it, because at the
moment it's ongoing. But I think that
ongoing process, the fact that he has come here,
and I think to South Africa, he has, for example, made very
objective observation about South Africa. They are unbiased,
uninfluenced by anything. He is making very clear. And he, therefore,
because of that, he's clear what kind of
relationship we should make with South Africa,
with the continent. And that will certainly
leave the legacy, and I think it will be
a good legacy insofar as the continent of Africa. Thank you. President Obama:
Ed, when it comes
to foreign policy, there are a whole range of
issues that are top priorities. Some of them are proactive;
some of them are in response to very tough situations. So first and foremost in my mind
is we still have a war going on in Afghanistan, and I've still
got young men and women there who are making
enormous sacrifices, and families back
home who are waiting to see their loved ones again. And us managing that
transition properly, so that by the end of 2014 our
troops are out and we've got a stable situation
inside of Afghanistan, I think is going to require
continued focus and attention. Keeping the American people safe
continues to be an area of focus and attention. And I can't deviate
from that too much. I've got to make
sure that our team understands those priorities. But there are also enormous
opportunities internationally, and so I'll just make
mention of a couple. Number one is that
despite the enormous turmoil in the Middle East -- and we're going to have
to continue to work on Syria; we're obviously actively
monitoring the situation in Egypt; the situation
in Libya is challenging -- I continue to believe that this period that we're going through in the Middle East has the potential to
move the Middle East over the long term
in a better direction, because the past arrangements
were not sustainable over the long term. Democracy is hard. It is messy. And in the Middle East, there
are obviously all kinds of sectarian
divisions that make it that much more
challenging and dangerous. But I continue to believe that
we have to invest time, energy, and effort in helping to midwife
a more representative and more responsive
governing arrangement throughout that region. And if we do that effectively,
then the Middle East I think can be part of the world economy and
in ways that are more than just how much oil are they producing. And obviously, it would
have an impact on the security of the entire world. And that includes, by the way,
us continuing to work on peace between the Israelis
and the Palestinians, which I think would change
the dynamic in the region, and certainly how
much leverage we have on some of these other issues. It includes dealing with Iran
and their nuclear program. If we can get Iran, which
now has a new President, to recognize the need
for negotiations, and a diplomatic resolution
whereby there have peaceful nuclear power, like South Africa
does, without nuclear weapons, and can give the international
community confidence on that -- that would change the
dynamic in the region again. So that continues
to be important. And then there are going to
be some multilateral issues. Africa -- we're here, and one
of the things that I've said is I want to see greater
trade, not just aid; African-led economic growth as
opposed to outsiders dictating to Africa how it can grow. But we have an
important role to play. The Food for the Future,
and Food Security Alliance that we highlighted when
we were in Senegal -- you've got 7 million small
farmers all across Africa who are now being empowered to increase yields
and productivity, get their products to market,
connect with Internet lines and wireless so that they can get
fair prices that they can then reinvest in buying tractors,
which further increases yield, which then means you're
creating a middle class. And now shopkeepers have
people who can buy their goods, and slowly Africa is growing. We now have nine countries
across the continent who are participating, and we're already
seeing enormous benefits and an increase of about $150 million
in incomes and revenues for those who are participating. That's the kind of thing
that America can do well. And, yes, we're
putting money into it, but we're also listening
and working with Africans to partner with them
in a more effective way. And we intend to do
the same thing on power -- something that we've been
hearing all across the region. The whole issue
of intra-African trade -- how can we help
to build infrastructure throughout the continent. We'll partner
with the Chinese -- the young man who was asking
that question earlier -- we'll be happy
to work with anybody around intra-Africa trade. And that's an example of where
we want to partner with Africa, we want to partner with others
who want to help Africa, but we want to make sure that
it's done to benefit Africa. And I think that as much as the
security issues in my foreign policy take up a lot of my time,
I get a lot of more pleasure from listening to a small farmer
say that she went from one hectare to
sixteen hectares, and has doubled her income. That's a lot more satisfying,
and that's the future. And finally, on domestic
policy, on immigration reform, I was very pleased to
see the Senate pass it. I called Senators
McCain, and Graham, and Schumer and
others who were involved to congratulate them for it. I think they worked very hard. It's not the perfect bill,
but it's consistent with the principles I laid
out of strong border security, of reformed legal
immigration system, and a pathway to citizenship
for those who are currently in undocumented status
inside the United States. Now the ball is in
the House's court. I've called both speakers --
Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi, and encouraged them to
find a path to get this done. And the framework that
the Senate has set up is a sound framework. It doesn't reflect
everything that I would like. Nobody is going to get 100
percent of what they want -- not labor, not business,
not the advocates, not me. But the time is right. And one thing I know
about why the United States is admired around the world -- and I think President
Zuma would confirm this -- people do recognize that America
is a nation of immigrants; that, like South Africa,
it is a multiracial and multicultural nation. And that makes it stronger. Our diversity is a
source of strength. So we need to get this right. We can be a nation of laws
and a nation of immigrants. And I do urge the House
to try to get this done before the August recess. There's more than enough time. This thing has
been debated amply, and they've got a bunch
of weeks to get it done. And now is the time. The Press:
Welcome, Mr. President, and
thank you for this opportunity. This is a question to both
of the Presidents here today. It's the issue
of transitional justice in the International
Criminal Court. The United States is not a
signatory to the Rome Statute, and yet appears to encourage and
push African leaders and African countries to essentially
follow the rulings of the International
Criminal Court. So the question,
President Obama, is how legitimate do
you view the international criminal justice system? And specifically
to President Zuma, what can be done to bring about
more equity to the international criminal system
or justice system? But also, having met, how would
you describe the state of the relationship currently
between South Africa and the United States? Considering the fact that the
United States is the biggest economic power, and South Africa
has the largest economy here, can we expect any
key initiative coming from both of these countries? Thank you. President Zuma:
Well, thank you very much. We certainly are saying we want
to strengthen our relations as two countries. And I think, as we said earlier,
the very visit of President Obama talks to the
issue we are raising -- what is that we can do. We are both saying
we need to do more. And of course, and
I think our private sector are very much aware of this. We are creating the enabling
environment that we should grow as much as possible. Our ministers have been
talking, and officials, on specific issues on what
is it that we think needs to be done to go forward. We are, for example, expecting
the United States companies to invest in what we have
here as opportunities. For example, the massive
infrastructure opportunities that are here with
bankable kind of projects -- those are the kind of opportunities
we believe the United States companies
will take advantage of. And that will therefore
deepen the economy. On the issue of justice
internationally, it's a very serious matter as
viewed by the African countries. As you know, there have been
cases where Africa has felt we are being treated unfairly
-- because we have also had discussions as to how
could we deal with justice, level the playing fields. Africa is, for example, in the
process of trying to initiate an interaction with the ICC to discuss specifically
those kind of issues. Our dimension in our relations
with the United States, our legal people, in fact,
should be given an opportunity to discuss these matters
at that level as to how could we bring about
equal justice globally. Because it is important that
we are seen in action to be treating matters of people, that
they're equal before the law. There is a view in the
continent that this is not done. And it may be a subjective view,
but there is that view that therefore says countries that
are in the leadership should have more interaction to
address those matters, because they become
very much important. One of the issues that
was asked, for example, was the issue of Kenya -- what
is it that must happen there. How do you look at people who
are charged -- in other words, who are supposed to
answer questions in court, who are not yet convicted -- how do they look
like before the law? Now, we think that the saying
is that you are innocent until proven guilty, right? What is the role of the people
who are not knowing the law, are not sophisticated, who are
given an opportunity to vote and to exercise their vote,
which is within their rights, respecting their rights? And they produce a
particular verdict. What do you say in
terms of the law? Those are the issues we
believe need to be looked at, because there are specific
circumstances at some point. Because if we are able to
discuss those issues and agree, it's not going to be difficult
to collaborate if there people, for an example, who must
appear before in court, because it would be moving from a particular
kind of understanding. It is also important to remove
the perceptions that people could have about certain things. If we don't talk,
we don't engage, the perceptions then become an
impediment -- whether we could move forward in bringing
about equal justice, respect of the law
globally, so to speak. I'm just saying, from
my point of view, the interaction and the
deepening of relations is going to help to deal with those
matters -- of course, with people who have expertise
on those kind of matters. I don't think they are matters
that cannot be resolved. They will be resolved
through engagement. Thank you very much. President Obama:
Well, first of all, when it comes to U.S.-South
Africa relations, as I said, I think the bilateral
relationship is very strong. What we've agreed to is that
we have to do a better job communicating on multinational
issues to make sure that we anticipate potential
areas of tension, that we understand
ourselves clearly, that sometimes it's important
for us to be able to express to each other the way in which
history shapes how we view some of these issues. And I think the more dialogue
we have on those issues I think because we are democracies that
stand for human rights and stand for certain principles,
the truth is we should be aligned internationally. But the bilateral
relationship is strong. I just want to make
sure it's stronger. I think that on
issues like HIV/AIDS, where we're now transitioning
building capacity, South Africa is stepping up
and doing tremendous work. That's a perfect model
for how you can have an effective partnership. On trade and investment,
we can do more. There's more
business to be done. And I'm confident that we're
moving in the right track. I just want to accelerate it a
little bit more, partly because, as Ed Henry pointed out, I only have three
and a half years left. (Laughter.) I want to try to get
as much done as possible. On the issue of
international justice, it's true the United
States is not a signatory, but we've been very supportive of the International
Criminal Court. Obviously, it is
a difficult thing. We don't have a single
world government. You don't have a single
world police force. And yet, I think it was created
and the idea of international justice was created, for those
extraordinary circumstances in which you see a leader operating in ways that is so contrary to international norms and basic beliefs
that we have about the dignity of people that the international
community sees the need to speak and to render
judgment -- in part to prevent that kind of action from
taking place in the future, in part to put leaders on notice
that they can't simply act with impunity simply because they
control the biggest military or the biggest faction
inside their country. That does not give them license
to do whatever they please. And I think that principle
is important to uphold. I know that there's
been talk about, well, does the ICC pick on Africa? But, truthfully, probably
the most high-profile work that the ICC has done
actually had to do with the situation
in Serbia and the Balkans, and Kosovo
and Bosnia. And so I'm confident that in
fact the ICC is not thinking simply regionally
on these issues. I do share with
President Zuma however, the notion that if that's a
perception inside of Africa, then it's useful for the African
Union -- and as a disinterested organization in the sense that
it's not just representing one country or one individual --
to be able to have constructive conversations with the ICC to
see if some of those perceptions can be dissipated. I would caution though
that you wouldn't want, in the name of African unity,
to be trying to water down principles that then allow
a Charles Taylor, let's say, to engage in the kinds
of actions that he did. That was brutal and inexcusable. And to the extent that the
notion was that actions like those of slaughtering people and
unleashing troops to rape and pillage with impunity that
somehow you can get away with that, that's not
good for Africa. And the African Union
should find a way, as President Zuma indicated, to
allay some of these concerns, perhaps get a greater sense of
consistency or transparency or clarity in terms of how
the ICC is operating. But don't lose that basic sense
that we're all accountable in some fashion to the basic
precepts that our countries respectively are founded on. Thank you very much.
