OHIO DELEGATION MEETS U-S AMBASSADOR

By Patricia A. Kennard

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – August 24

The goal of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus is to be a catalyst with South Africa businesses. The hope is to eventually create partnerships with American businesses that will provide jobs – sooner, rather than later. South Africa is realizing its business structure, following decades of apartheid, which left masses of the population undereducated and unemployed.

U-S Ambassador to South Africa, Delano Lewis, met with the OLBC at the U-S Embassy Thursday in Pretoria. Ambassador Lewis pointed to a country in contrast, “…a 1^st World and 3^rd World country side-by-side,” he said. As President Bill Clinton’s personal representative overseas, Mr. Lewis cited startling statistics, which lend themselves to South Africa’s current condition. For example, Lewis said, “5% own 95% of the wealth in South Africa and there is no middle class; just the very rich and the very poor.”

Lewis said he is quite optimistic about the recently signed Africa Growth and Opportunity Act where companies, like Motorola, will train South Africans through its cellular institute in wireless technology.

Lewis told the OLBC that it can return to the U-S and strongly appeal to members of Congress to increase the Foreign Services budget, which has been sharply decreasing. “It is a travesty not to have resources to get the job done,” Lewis said.

Lewis was pulled out of retirement by the Clinton appointment and has been U-S Ambassador to South Africa for the past 8 months.

Daily updates of the OBLC mission are available at: http://www.uakron.edu/southafrica.