WASHINGTON — In his first official visit since being elected head of South Africa's ruling party, African National Congress leader Jacob Zuma met Tuesday with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and even President George W. Bush, who had an unexpected meet-and-greet with Zuma during his stop at the White House.
The State Department canceled a photo-op with Rice at the last minute, but as a member of Zuma's delegation explained with a shrug, "We can't control the program."
One can understand why Rice may have been hesitant to pose next to Zuma. The man widely expected to become the next president of South Africa is nothing if not controversial.
Over the past several years, the populist Zuma has been acquitted of corruption, racketeering, money-laundering and rape charges. Once head of South Africa's national commission on AIDS, he drew ridicule for testifying during the rape trial that he had unprotected sex with his HIV-positive accuser but took a shower afterward to prevent infection.
Overcoming the legal troubles earned Zuma, 66, a reputation as a political comeback kid, and he and his supporters say the prosecutions had political motives. But his visit to Washington no doubt posed a sensitive dilemma for the Bush administration.
While cooperation with South Africa is important for U.S. policy in many ways, Washington's most immediate need is the country's help with Zimbabwe, which has been mired in violence and is at a political impasse.
Earlier this week, the Bush administration threatened new sanctions against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his supporters if he backs out of a Sept. 15 power-sharing agreement with Morgan Tsvangirai, whose opposition party won a majority in parliamentary elections earlier this year. But Washington needs South Africa -- the largest economy and main mediator in the region -- to use its leverage to persuade Mugabe to cooperate.
"The U.S. is interested in South Africa because it's the key state in the continent," said John Blaney, a former U.S. charge d'affaires in South Africa. "It was good for Zuma to visit the States, and to keep both [U.S. presidential] candidates' transition teams aware that there is an Africa agenda."
Advisers for the campaigns of both Barack Obama and John McCain were spotted at Zuma's appearance before the Council on Foreign Relations on Tuesday.
At the meeting, Zuma pronounced reports that the Mugabe government did not grant Tsvangirai a passport to attend talks in Swaziland "weird" and assured the audience that he did not want the parties "to waste a moment" sealing the political deal.
But even as his country attempts to play mediator in Zimbabwe, Zuma has his own party turmoil to worry about. Although the ANC is the party of Nelson Mandela and has ruled South Africa since apartheid ended in 1994, it has faced infighting and allegations of corruption over the past decade.
In his remarks to the council, Zuma said all was calm in South Africa and that he did not plan any radical policy changes.
Another challenge for Zuma are questions back home about why he did not cancel his trip to Washington, even though just before he left, a political rival, former Defense Minister Mosiuoa "Terror" Lekota, announced he was breaking with the ANC to form a new party.
Zuma's last meeting in Washington, on Thursday, is with the FBI to talk about crime in South Africa.
A rainbow, dimming
Is South Africa souring on democracy? Go to chicagotribune.com/southafrica