South African Jewish Community Prominent at Mbeki’s Inauguration

Representatives of South Africa’s Jewish community played prominent parts in the nation’s peaceful transition of power.

Constitutional Court President Judge Arthur Chaskalson administered the oath of office to President Thabo Mbeki, while Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris was one of five religious leaders to offer a prayer at the June 16 inauguration.

At the start of the ceremony, attended by 4,500 dignitaries — including kings, presidents and prime ministers – from 130 countries, prayers were also said by clergy of the Christian, Muslim, Hindu and African Traditional faiths.

In his benediction, Harris asked for forgiveness for the failings of all South Africans.

“Instead of coming closer together as brothers and sisters of one land, we carry old hatreds in our hearts,” he said, adding that “our country at this time has too much violence and too much crime, too little love and laughter.”

In his inaugural address, Mbeki referred to Genesis 4:9, in which Cain gives his oft-quoted reply to God’s question about his brother’s whereabouts.

“I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper,” Mbeki said. “And because we are one another’s keepers, we surely must be haunted by the humiliating suffering which continues to afflict millions of our people.

“What the new light over our land must show is a palpable process of the comprehensive renewal of our country — its rebirth — driven by the enormous talents of all our people, both black and white.”

Among those attending the inauguration were Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.

Israel was represented by its ambassador to South Africa, Uri Oren, who said there was no higher representation because the new Israeli government had not yet been formed.

“It is a very hectic time in Israel,” Oren said. “It was had coincidence that no high government official was able to represent the country. We made this clear to the Mbeki administration and they were very understanding.”

South Africa’s Jewish community was represented at the inauguration by three officials of its leading umbrella group, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies: National President Mervyn Smith, National Chair Marlene Bethlehem and National Director Seymour Kopelowitz.

Shortly after the inauguration, the Jewish board announced that Mbeki will open its national congress in Johannesburg on August 21.

Mbeki’s new Cabinet includes one Jewish minister, Ronnie Kasrils.

Deputy minister of defense in the government of outgoing President Nelson Mandela, Kasrils was promoted to minister of water affairs and forestry.

Kasrils, former head of military intelligence of Umkhonto weSizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress, was in exile for 27 years during the apartheid era.

On his return in 1990, he was one of the country’s most wanted people before finally being granted amnesty.

He is the author of the book “Armed and Dangerous,” the story of the undercover struggle against apartheid.