Former White House political director Patrick Gaspard, President Barack Obama’s Haitian-American nominee to succeed Donald Gips as Washington’s ambassador to South Africa, is a step closer to Pretoria. Last Wednesday he made the obligatory appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In his prepared text, he told the panel the US had a “vital role to play in President Zuma’s efforts to improve the quality and accessibility of education; the struggle to combat high unemployment and by extension the epidemic in crime; and the challenge of income inequality.”
“Beyond our aid assistance and technical expertise,” he continued, “our greatest contribution will be in stimulating private investment and trade. This will be a major priority for my mission if I am confirmed…There are more than 600 American companies already based in South Africa and I will work to see that number grow.” Continue reading “Insider”