South Africans Watch the US Vote

We hear from The World’s Anders Kelto is in Capetown, South Africa, for a look at how the US election is playing there.

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Aaron Schachter: Let’s turn now to Marco Werman in London. Marco, you’ve been reporting all week from perhaps the world’s most international city on how folks from all over the globe view today’s US elections. For this next conversation we’re bringing in The World’s Anders Kelto. He’s in Capetown, South Africa. Anders, are South Africans on the edge of their seats about this election, as we are here in the US?

Anders Kelto: I don’t think most people feel like the president of the United States has a direct impact on their lives, but there a symbolic importance to the person in the White House, especially if it’s once again Barack Obama. You know, his election as the first black president of the US had a hugely powerful impact on people here. It really changed the way that people saw America. You know, it overnight became a country that was capable of electing a black leader, and that fact inspired a lot of people here. It became seen as a symbol of hope.

Marco Werman: Hi, Anders, this is Marco in London. I just wanted to ask you a quick question from this end. I was upstairs here at the BBC Broadcasting House at the African Service and they’ve dispatched a team to President Obama’s ancestral village in Kenya, so clearly what you’re saying about his stature is still resonating in Africa is true there. But there’s an interesting nuance, you know, in 2008 he was seen as a black man who won the White House. But as I spoke yesterday with half Sierra Leonean and half Scottish writer, Aminatta Forna, she pointed out that now in 2012 Obama is seen more realistically as a politician, i.e. for the majority of Africans, he’s a man of privilege. And I’m just wondering if that’s something that you’ve been hearing in South Africa.

Kelto: I think people do have a more nuanced understanding of Obama now. He is not seen as sort of a savior for the continent the way that maybe some people saw him at the last election, in part because of his track record. I mean Obama hasn’t really done that much for Africa, certainly not compared to some past presidents, like Bill Clinton who created a hugely important trade agreement here and who had a very close personal relationship with Nelson Mandela. So I think some people are still sort of waiting to see what is he really gonna do and does he really care about Africa. Having said, if you ask anyone here what they think of Obama they’ll say they love him, and a lot of people, especially in Kenya will say that you know, he’s their cousin. Here in South Africa people will say you know, Obama, he’s an African like us.

Schachter: What would you say is the top priority that South Africans have for the next US president?

Kelto: I think within the aid and development community there is a lot of concern about what happens with the election. Africa as a whole relies heavily on the US for foreign aid, for food aid, for support with their health systems, for fighting HIV, and there is always an eye on the US presidency because the person in that position has to make some tough decisions together with congress about how much money to continue giving to Africa. So I’d say that’s the primary concern. Other issues that have come up when I’ve talked to people have been security. America is still seen here as sort of the world police and people worry that someone in office who doesn’t prioritize Africa might start to withdraw troops and defense systems from the area. There’s concerns about stability in east Africa if the US were to start backing out of that region. So people do still look at America as a stabilizing force of security in the region.

Schachter: The World’s Anders Kelto in Capetown, South Africa, thanks a lot.

Kelto: Thanks, guys.

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