It’s not too late for Trump to embrace dignity by stepping down: Mandela Foundation

Relief that he can't bring White House into disrepute for another four years

09 November 2020 - 08:53 By orrin singh
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
US president-elect Joe Biden with his vice-president-elect Kamala Harris.
US president-elect Joe Biden with his vice-president-elect Kamala Harris.
Image: Kevin Lamarque/File Photo/Reuters

The Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) has come out in full support of newly elected US President Joe Biden and his deputy, Kamala Harris, expressing relief about their win over outgoing Donald Trump.

In a statement issued on Sunday, NMF spokesperson Luzuko Koti congratulated Biden and Harris on what the foundation described as “a successful but punishing election campaign”.

“It is with a sense of relief we have seen Donald Trump defeated in the US presidential election. Like many around the world, we celebrate the fact that we won’t have to watch him undermining democratic institutions and listen to him bringing the most powerful office in the world into disrepute for another four years.”

Koti said now begins the daunting task for the US of undoing the Trump administration’s deepening of racism, sexism, xenophobia, Afrophobia and many other intersecting vectors of prejudice and hatred.

“We congratulate president-elect Joe Biden and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris on what has been a successful but punishing election campaign. We look forward to seeing the White House occupied by a leadership team which understands the central importance of human dignity. We take special pleasure from the fact that Ms Harris is the first woman in US history to fill the position of vice-president.”

Koti called on Trump to embrace the democratic process, support the transition, and begin contributing to the healing of a deeply fractured society.

“As Nelson Mandela often used to say, a good leader knows when to step down, and how to do so appropriately. It’s not too late for Trump to embrace dignity, for himself and for others.”

TimesLIVE

LISTEN | Donald Trump calls US elections a ‘major fraud

Subscribe for free: iono.fm | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Player.fm


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.