Obama Not Sure He Will Be Able To Visit Mandela
In South Africa as part of his Africa visit
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Barack Obama, in the midst of a historic tour of Africa, says he isn't certain about whether he'll be able to visit gravely ill Nelson Mandela when he arrives in South Africa.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Dakar, Senegal to Johannesburg, Obama said, "We'll see what the situation is when we land."
Obama adds, quote, "I don't need a photo op and the last thing I want to do is to be in any way obtrusive at a time when the family is concerned with Nelson Mandela's condition."
He noted that his wife, Michelle, and daughters Malia and Sasha had previously met Mandela, who is 94. Mandela led the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.
He was admitted to a hospital in Pretoria on June 8 with what authorities said at the time was a lingering lung infection.