The South African president is dwarfed by world leaders.
If a man’s height truly determines his success, President Thabo Mbeki is in trouble. After Zambian President Frederick “Power Is Sweet” Chiluba, who tried in vain to change his country’s Constitution to extend the term of his presidency, Mbeki might be the shortest leader in the world.
Side by side with the world’s heads of state, Mbeki looks up to all, even the Japanese Prime Minister, Yanda Shinji, who stands a mere 1,69m in his socks.
A source who did not want to be identified put Mbeki’s height at 1,56m – 28cm shorter than Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, his partner in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.
The Chinese embassy said that discussing a president’s height showed “a lack of respect”.
“All I can tell you is, he’s not tall,” shouted a woman at the embassy who refused to identify herself before banging down the phone.
The Zimbabwean embassy obviously takes the issue very seriously. “Why don’t you ask the president himself?” shouted an irritated man who identified himself as the commissioner.
While the president’s height in South Africa is not “a matter of national security” as it is in Zimbabwe, it is definitely a major issue. Several attempts by the Mail & Guardian to get Mbeki’s height from the Office of the President and the African National Congress proved futile.
Despite being given the explanation for this request, an employee in the president’s office, David Hlabane, kept insisting: “I’m trying to determine exactly why you need his height.”
Hlabane promised to check Mbeki’s height with the relevant people. A day later, he was still “checking”.