Govt denies blame for Mandela delay

THE LATE arrival of former South African president Nelson Mandela in Trinidad and Tobago has nothing to do with concerns about Mandela’s health or Government bungling the actual time of his arrival. Plans for Mandela’s two-day visit were thrown into confusion yesterday when the Ministry of Public Administration and Information announced that Mandela would arrive in TT at 10.30 pm yesterday instead of the original time of 3 pm. Communications officer at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Cheryl Moses, told Newsday Mandela’s flight left South Africa at 8 am TT time (2 am South Africa time) and the estimated flight time was 13 to 15 hours. She said the flight would be making one stop and Mandela was due to arrive at Piarco International Airport at 10.30 pm.  Newsday was reliably informed that Mandela’s entourage would be making a refuelling stop somewhere in North Africa before continuing on to TT.

Moses said Mandela’s late arrival was not due to concerns about his health, or any reason other than a rescheduling of flight plans out of South Africa. Chief of Protocol at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Carl Francis, said the South African High Commissioner had expressed concern that the programme being planned by Government and CONCACAF was too rigorous for the 86-year-old Mandela. Moses pointed out that Government did not mix-up the time of Mandela’s arrival because from the preliminary information they had received, Mandela’s arrival time was 3 pm. However, despite his late arrival, Government officials said Prime Minister Patrick Manning and other VIPs will be at Piarco to greet Mandela and his entourage. The initial itinerary included a guard of honour for Mandela upon his arrival.

A motorcade from Piarco into Port-of-Spain was cancelled. However, the official reception at President’s House, which was attended by South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, went ahead as scheduled for 7 pm. A statement from the Office of the President said: “Mr Nelson Mandela’s arrival in Trinidad is delayed but Archbishop Desmond Tutu is due to arrive in Trinidad as scheduled (at 4.20 pm) and will attend the reception.” Contacted yesterday, Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday said he did not know whether Mandela’s late arrival would affect today’s schedule of events. He said he first heard about the changes through the media. 

Panday is due to pay a courtesy call on Mandela at the Hilton Trinidad at 2.45 pm. Mandela is due to meet with Prime Minister Patrick Manning this morning, visit the Cyril Ross Home in Tunapuna and attend a rally at the Queen’s Park Oval. General manager at the Hilton Trinidad, Ali Khan, said Mandela’s late arrival had not affected arrangements being made for him. “We will do everything to make him happy,” Khan declared. He added that Mandela’s security detail was pleased with arrangements put in place for the former South African president at the hotel. Arrangements to block off Frederick Street to allow Mandela’s entourage a free flow to the Hilton were adjusted to suit his new arrival time.