the corner office

This is a non-newsworthy story as in this day and age if a influential figure cannot get physically into a country to delivar a speech technology is availble as in SAT TV , Pod Casts etc... to get the message across. How is a visa then of any consequence. All this shows is the organisers are way behind the times.

True, the Dalai Lama can get his message across in many ways, but there are two reasons why it's important:

The first is that it's extremely embarassing for SA. I've had colleagues come to me and say 'why won't your country give a visa to the Dalai Lama?' It contributes to the impression that people have of the country, which has knock-on effects.

The second and most important is that it raises the question of just how overly influential China is in SA, and is that influence just because of arms-length business relationships? Given how corrupt many ANC bigwigs are, including our president-to-be, how much money is being slipped under the table to the people in charge?