Former U.S. president Barack Obama is scheduled to visit South Africa in July to commemorate the centenary of the birth of South Africa’s founding father Nelson Mandela.
During his visit, Obama will deliver a lecture in Johannesburg on 17 July, a day before Mandela’s birthday.
The former U.S. president’s lecture will be in honor of Mandela, whom he eulogized after his death five years ago by saying he “makes me want to be a better man.”
The theme of the lecture will be “Renewing the Mandela Legacy and Promoting Active Citizenship in a Changing World.”
It will focus on promoting equality and creating conditions for bridging divide.
The Obama Foundation’s Africa program is a yearlong initiative that aims to train people for roles in government, civil society and the private sector.
200 participants have been chosen to attend the lecture, from a pool of nearly 10,000 applicants.
Since leaving office in January 2017, Obama has made trips around the world, giving lectures on leadership and governance.
“When I was in my last year in office, part of what I asked myself is, ‘What would be the most important contribution I could make?’” Obama said during a recent round table with young people in Singapore.
“What I really felt most strongly about was, ‘How do we develop the next generation of leaders?’”
Obama visited South Africa on numerous occasions during his tenure as U.S. president – and even spoke at Mandela’s memorial service in December 2013.
The @NelsonMandela Foundation is honoured to announce that President Barack Obama accepted our invitation to be the speaker at this year’s The 16th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture to take place in Johannesburg on 17 July, ahead of Madiba’s birthday – @SelloHatang @ObamaFoundation pic.twitter.com/HFdgk1YJ9h
— NelsonMandela (@NelsonMandela) April 23, 2018
