Matthew Burbidge.

When Bill Clinton arrived in Cape Town in 1998, he was the first US president to do so. South Africa’s population stood at 37 million, and Nelson Mandela was president. The Secret Service was mocked by local radio stations for insisting that every manhole cover along his route be welded shut. The Star didn’t even run a photograph. The New York Times wrote of the visit that South Africa was a bit blasé about being the centre of attention, and that it “has seen enough world leaders in the last few years to take the dramatic edge off Clinton's appearance”.

Mandela and Clinton held a joint press conference, at which Mandela criticised those who wanted him to abandon anti-apartheid allies Libya, Cuba and Iran. As the NYT said: “He did not specifically name Clinton, who was standing next to him, but if it wasn't a slap at the United States, who was it a slap at?”