By Trudy Simpson, Staff ReporterMAKING GOOD on a promise he made on Monday, President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki yesterday met with Rastafarians from 13 different groups to hear their various concerns. Among the issues raised was what they saw as the poor treatment of Winnie Mandela, the former wife of former South African president, Nelson Mandela.
Mrs. Mandela, one of the leaders in the anti-apartheid movement, which helped to destroy the white supremacy system in place in South Africa up to the early 1990s, was recently convicted on fraud and theft charges in a bank scam in that country.
Media and some Rastafarian members were barred from attending the closed-door meeting, which started around 8:30 a.m. and lasted for more than 30 minutes.
At the end of it, President Mbeki said that he and the groups have agreed to work together in some respects and some Rastas said there was a better understanding of certain issues.
"They were presenting various issues such as agricultural development in Jamaica, better conduct on the African continent and so now, we have agreed to work together on that," Mr. Mbeki said, in a very brief interview, following the meeting, which was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
On Monday, during Mr. Mbeki's visit to National Heroes Park, several protesting Rastafarians asked the president to take care of Mrs Mandela and highlighted their concerns about some negative African events.
Placard-bearing Rastas also heckled the President by shouting Winnie Mandela's name as he attended a ceremony at Mandela Park later in the day during which he was given the Key to the City of Kingston. It was at this ceremony that Mr. Mbeki indicated that he would meet with them.
Masmian "Ras Cush" Douglas, an executive of the Jamaican Ethiopian Peace Foundation, an umbrella organisation representing 13 Rastafarian "mansions", said Rastafarians were given a thorough background on the Mandela case. They were asked to let the law take its course and that there would be further discourse on other issues once their delegation makes a planned visit to Africa later this month.
The Rastafarians also brought to Mr. Mbeki's attention their concerns about reparations and repatriation, water supply and environmental degradation. They also gave solutions to ease pollution and made suggestions about the use of hemp in industry.
"We were given positive assurance and now we can work hand in hand for ourselves and our children's children," said Abuna Stedrick Whyte of the Haile Selassie Rastafari Royal Ethiopian Judah Coptic Church.
