DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST PRESIDENT OBAMA VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA

Protests planned against US President Barack Obama's state visit to South Africa in a similar fashion  to an incident that happened during  President George W. Bush in the middle of war in Iraq in July 2003.

The disgruntled protesters plan for demonstrations claiming the US President has not fulfilled his pledges and his mandate.The recent killing of civilians in Libya during the air strikes aiming at removing former dictator  Colonel  Gaddafi and the failure to fulfill his pledge to close Guantanamo prison  are among some reasons for the protests.

However this is a historic visit in his second term of office as the first African American President.Barack Obama is expected to jet into South Africa on 28th June,2013.The visit comes at a time when the world's re-known struggle Icon, 95 years old Nelson Mandela is battling lung infection for more than three weeks.The condition of the first democratic head of state in South Africa has been described as stable but serious to critical by the South African government.The current  South African President Jacob Zuma assured the world that Obama will be warmly welcome in South Africa despite the condition of Nelson Mandela and the planned demonstrations.

"We categorically make it known that the visit of the US president to South Africa is an unwelcome visit that will be protested, picketed and resisted by all justice and peace-loving peoples of this country," the organisations said in a joint statement on Sunday.

"Friendship with South Africa must be based on values of justice, freedom and equality, and these the US has offended, undermined and ridiculed through its actions in the global front," they said.

The statement was issued by the National Unions of Metalworkers of South Africa, the South African Communist Party, the Young Communist League of South Africa, the South African Students' Congress, the Muslim Students' Association, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the Friends of Cuba Society, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel in South Africa, and the World Federation of Trade Unions.

"Our rejection is based the US's arrogant, selfish and oppressive foreign policies, treatment of workers and international trade relations that are rooted in war-mongering, neo-liberal super-exploitation, colonial racism and the disregard and destruction of the environment, thus making the realisation of a just and peaceful world impossible," they said.

Obama's visit later this month would be his first to South Africa since he was elected head of state.

"The US, under his leadership, has escalated its assault on human rights, militarisation of international relations and continuing galloping of world resources at the absolute expense of the environment and oppressed peoples of the world," the organisations said.

Issues such as the US's use of world resources, its role maintaining the underdevelopment of the African continent and its contribution to global warming would be highlighted in the protests.

The public was invited to participate in a national day of action on June 28, where there would be a protest march from the Union Buildings in Pretoria to the US embassy from 10am.

There would also be a demonstration on June 29 against the University of Johannesburg's decision to award Obama an honorary doctorate. It would be held at the university's Soweto campus at 11am.