‘Mandela’ interview that made Theresa May sweat

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UK Prime Minister Theresa May found herself in a tight corner after being subjected to an intense grilling in which she was asked to defend her position on Nelson Mandela and apartheid during the 1970s and 1980s.

She was challenged  to explain whether she had actively called for Mr Mandela’s release in her early political career.

Mrs May confirmed that she did not attend demonstrations in support of Mr Mandela during the 1970s or 1980s but she praised the efforts of the British Government to pressure the then South African Government to release him.

She said: “I think you know full well that I didn’t go on protests, Michael. But what is important is the work that the United Kingdom, the work that the United Kingdom Government did to ensure that it was able to give support where the support was needed. What was important was the support the UK Government was giving at the time, often support behind the scenes, but in other ways too, to ensure that we saw the result that we did in relation to the ending of apartheid here in South Africa.”

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After landing in Cape Town early on Tuesday, May visited a high school in Gugulethu before addressing a high-level business gathering in the city.

There she committed to trade relations with Southern Africa post-Brexit and unveiled her vision for stronger ties with the continent, including billions of pounds in investment.

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May’s endorsement of Ramaphosa’s stance on the expropriation of land without compensation will come as a boost and stands in stark contrast to United States President Donald Trump’s misinformed tweet last week.

May told the South Africa-UK business forum in Cape Town that the UK supports land reform that’s legal, transparent and is done through a democratic process. She noted that Ramaphosa made it clear that there would be no smash and grabs.

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“I welcome the comments [that] President Ramaphosa has already made about the approach to land reform, bearing in mind the economic and social aspects of it. We already see significant investment in the UK. I think there are real opportunities for the future.”

Ramaphosa is chasing $100 billion in fresh investments for South Africa over the next five years.

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