Bush blamed for Beijing blues

2008-08-19 21:23

Cape Town - Chinese customs, administrative problems, and US President George W Bush caused scheduling headaches for South African sports officials at the Beijing Olympics, Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile revealed on Tuesday.

Responding in the National Assembly to a statement by the Democratic Alliance's Donald Lee, he admitted "some handicaps" had beset his department's plans over the past fortnight.

Media reports have been critical of its efforts to mount a South Africa exhibition, which opened a week later than planned at a luxury hotel in the Chinese capital.

Stofile cautioned MPs "not to rely on what the media says".

While a scheduled news conference on August 5 had been a success, a well-attended event the next evening - to welcome South African athletes, freshly arrived from their training camp in Korea - was brought to an abrupt end by Bush and his family.

"We had to leave quickly. President Bush and his wife, his father and his wife, [and] his brother and his wife, were arriving at the hotel from Bangkok... We were told our time in the [hotel] was over, and so we left," Stofile said to laughter from MPs.

Merchandise 'embargoed' by Chinese

An exhibition on August 9 could not start on time due to "administrative inefficiencies", as well as the fact that marketing merchandise needed for it was "embargoed" by Chinese customs.

"It took a lot of negotiating... to get it released," Stofile said.

On the administrative problems, he said the officials responsible would have to "face their country" on their return from China.

According to reports, invitations to the event were mailed late and some had the time wrong.

On a planned expo to highlight South Africa's 2010 World Cup efforts, Stofile said this was set to go ahead as planned on Thursday this week.

"So out of four events, only one did not take place," he said.

- SAPA