City of Cape Town Executive Mayor, Alderman Patricia de Lille, has announced a proposal to award the Freedom of the City to US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.
The proposal was made to the City’s multi-party Rules Committee, which approved it at a meeting on May 15, 2012. It will now send its recommendation to Council, where it will be put to the vote on May 28, 2012.
Announcing the proposal, the Executive Mayor said the Obamas were an inspirational example to all and symbolised hope, adding that their successes have only been possible with the support of each other.
She said the people of Cape Town aspire to the qualities of leadership, excellence and inclusion, and have worked towards overcoming the divisions of the past by mapping a course into a better future for all.
“For this city, as for the entire world, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are the guiding stars to our eventual destination.
“In a cynical age, there is a desperate need for universal hope. Hope that acts as a reminder that, no matter what the odds, even the supposedly unattainable is within our grasp.
“Symbols that retain their meaning in these times, and ones that embody the qualities to which we aspire, are worthy of the highest recognition,” she said.
Other living Freemen of the City include former President Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and University of the Western Cape Vice-Chancellor Dr Richard van der Ross.
President Obama visited Cape Town while he was still a US senator, and Michelle Obama travelled to the city in 2011 as part of a broader outreach to Africa.
“It is my hope that their example will forever be a reminder that where there is hope and perseverance and where we are fuelled by the courage of our convictions, that even the unimaginable is doable,” De Lille said.
Bestowing the award will also boost Cape Town’s international image, she added.
According to the US Embassy in Cape Town, the proposed award is a great honour, and the Embassy will be liaising with the White House, which has already been informed of the plans. If Council approves the award, it is not yet clear whether the Obamas would receive it in Cape Town, or whether a ceremony will be held in Washington DC.
