no beffday cake for you Mr Lama

South Africa is becoming a morally bankrupt state with morally bankrupt leadership

........HA HA.......We can hear the collective sigh of relief from the Zuma/ANC block.........It is not THEIR fault, .....the Dalai cancelled his visit of his 'own will'........

.....so it's back to business as usual...The Benjamin Franklins made in China still flowing into their pockets.........

A sober decision by the holiness that must be supported by all! Our peoples stomachs and our economy are much more important than an old man's birthday and the twisted sponsored views of neo-liberals.

What a disgrace and worldwide humiliation for South Africa.
Sies!

Yet another scandal - this time international - revealing the truth and the sobering reality.

No visa was granted because the anc are already taking orders from the Chinese - Their next colonial masters !

he who pays the piper calls the tune. remember it is not so long ago that the US did the same thing to all of us (countries that do trade with Uncle Sam) regarding dealing with countries and people it regarded as terrorists. it did not matter what we thought of those countries or people, we had to comply to keep the US trade relations. I guess the China Vs Dalai Lama thing is exactly the same.

A mature government will always act in a responsible manner that will not compromise the country's economy and national security. It is unfortunate that the Tibetan spirtitual leader is a loose Robin Hood to our biggest trading patner! As much as we support the cause for self determination but our peoples stomach comes first!

What was he bringing other than party. If his trip was gonna cost us economically with our friends in China, he did a right thing by cancelling. There is always a next time. The opportunist were using this saga to score political power. The poor and maginalised don't even know or even care about his holiness.

An abrupt "disallowed" stamping over the application (with reasons) on the day of receipt would have caused much less of a scandal - instead we now sit with international embarrassment after pathetic, drawn out, political bureaucracy.
To speed up the process, all visa applications to visit South Africa must in future be sent to Beijing (with a copy to Pretoria for Home Affairs records)!

Agreed. Thank you Dali Lama for your diplomacy, which we lack.

Why is this such an issue? Do we not live in a world where politics and money rule the roost?

.......Isn't it incredible that a frail looking elder and one frail looking Archbishop without wagging one finger, managed to p.ss off the mighty Master China and expose the Zuma/ANC "determination, independency, sovereignty and leadership"??................

Considering this countries (struggle) history, disgusting, but considering this countries (pathetic) moral leadership, hardly surprising...

Today I am ashamed of being a South African.

I think this is much ado about nothing. in the greater political and economic scheme of tings, the Dalai Lama is insignificant. South Africa is not suddenly going to lose its trade agreements with the international community because of not allowing the Dalai Lama into the country. China is currently South Africa's major trade partner (in fact China is now a major tradind partner of most developing countries). And of course they are doing it for the development of China, and not as charity (no trade is charity anyway). and don't anybody talk about aid, because the SA economy does not depend on aid, only our NGOs depend on aid from the West (and NGOs are not government entities as their definition implies).
So let's look at China only through the eyes of trade. They need the mineral resources (just like the West before them did) to further develop their country and satisfy the needs of its people - and we need the bucks and that is the nature of the relationship between the two countries. The Dalai Lama is just an exiled individual who is of no benefit to our country.

This is sad!

Time for 702 and etv to run a live feed from the Dalai Lama across the nation for Tut's birthday bash.
Media should now embark on a fill-scale promotion of the Dalai Lama and the genocide committed by the communist fascist regime. All South African's should now STOP BUYING CHINESE!!

@Spitfire, it would be impossible for South Africans or anyone in the world not to buy goods made in China. Everything is now made in China due to their cheap labour, the Armani, Gucci, Hugo Boss, iPhone, iPad, fridges, home entertainment units, computers and just about everything is made in China these days, which is what has made it the powerhouse it is in the world economically. It has reserves like no other country and owns about 48% of the US debt (which means it owns that much of the US economy - imagine that). China is the next superpower and this has been forcast time and again since 2008 by the world's greatest analysts commissioned to look into the power balance shifts every 25 - 30 years. the next top-three superpowers to replace the US and major European nations are said to be China, India & Brazil in second place and then followed by the current superpowers. makes you think doesn't it?

certainly not birthday cake for an old Lama!!

I would like to see this decision tested in the Constitutional Court. Surely Tutu's basic constitutional right of association supercedes the ANC's narrow benefactoral agreement with Beijing?

@MisterWendal, I am afraid Tutu would lose that case hands down. national interest supercede citizens' rights to have friends over, just like your children's rights to have "undesirable" friends over are overridden by yours as a parent not to have "undesirables" in your home. and the "undesirable" in this instance being the Dalai Lama.

At least Zuma was honest when he said the ANCYL was not in charge.
Pity he forgot to mention that Beijing is actually in charge !

the double standards in these forums and government are most alarming....

1.the previosuly advantaged who saw nothing wrong with the past are not screaming the loudest about "human rights", a concept they learned since '94.

2.The ruling party has no issues not "intervening in soverign matters" in all matters relating to Zimbabwe but allows itself to be bullied by mother China.

interesting times...

Interesting analysis The Afrikan......pity it will fly over unnoticed by the hypocrits in here. Thing is they would like SA to be in awe and in control by the West (USA, Brits, NATO etc) than the East (China, Russia etc) and would rubbish any notion that lends or leads SA to lean to the EAST..........after all, isnt the West busy killing people all over the world????

Someone please tell all Dalai Lamas that whithou proper documents they will not get Special Visas to our beloved country and despite people blaming our relations with China. All countries have procedures to be followed not unless we say pepople are allowed to come in and out of our country as they like then he can use the Zimbambwe chanell if it is so important for him to come remembver Zim is also China connection hahahahahaha.

Staren, you care to share some of your growing up powder with me......seeing as though you've just sprinkled yourself with some a coupla minutes ago.......gosh, am i glad you finally found it.

The only way he is going to get in here is to be reincarnated as a South African ;)

The only way he is going to get in here is to be reincarnated as a South African ;)

Such a pity our leedas have no backbones. Maybe because of all the backstabbing they have it removed as they enter politics.
China wants us more than we want them.