The Nelson Mandela Foundation on Monday acknowledged Joe Biden’s election victory and celebrated the end of the Donald Trump era.
“Like many around the world, we celebrate the fact that we won’t have to watch him (Trump) undermining democratic institutions and listen to him bringing the most powerful office in the world into disrepute for
another four years,” the foundation said in a statement.
It said the United States now faces the daunting task of undoing the Trump administration’s “deepening of racism, sexism, xenophobia, Afrophobia and many other intersecting vectors of prejudice and hatred”.
The foundation also quoted Mandela who said a good leader knows when to step down. “It’s not too late for Trump to embrace dignity, for himself and for others,” it added.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier congratulated Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris on their election victory, saying “We look forward to working with you and deepening our bonds of friendship and cooperation.”
Relations between Pretoria and Washington have been strained under Trump. The Republican has never visited South Africa, unlike his predecessors Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. And Biden who visited South Africa as a Senator fought against the Apartheid regime. His son, Hunter, is married to a South African.