The new US Ambassador in South Africa

Here is an article on the appointment:-

"President Donald Trump has nominated handbag designer Lana Marks to be the next US ambassador to South Africa.

Marks, a Florida resident and member of Trump's exclusive Mar-a-Lago resort, according to a source familiar with the club, was born and raised in South Africa, where she attended the University of the Witwatersrand and the Institute of Personnel Management in Johannesburg, the White House said in a statement.

Marks is photographed and quoted giving a warm testimonial on the website of Mar-a-Lago's official photographer, saying she had captured her daughter's wedding at the club "in a very special way."

Marks is known for luxury handbags in exotic animal skins, such as ostrich and alligator, with prices that can hover above $19,000. One of her more expensive creations, a $400,000 clutch, has been carried on the red carpet. The designer's website features photos of celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston carrying her goods and says her accessories have become a favorite among "royalty and entertainment style makers." 

Described by the Palm Beach Daily as "like Trump, a relentless self-promoter," Marks speaks Afrikaans and Xhosa, two of South Africa's languages, according to the White House.

Her website chronicles an upbringing that included studying at the Royal Academy of Ballet. The concept for starting an exotic leather handbag line came, the site says, when Marks couldn't find a bag to match the suit she planned to wear to a birthday celebration for Queen Elizabeth. According to her Instagram account she attempted to qualify for the French Open tennis tournament in 1978.

Marks' site also notes that she was appointed to the Women's Leadership Board at Harvard University's Kennedy School of government, which supports the Women and Public Policy Program. Both the board and the program focus on gender equality and improving lives around the world, the Harvard site says. The Harvard site notes that board members "engage philanthropically" with the policy program "through three annual giving tiers."

Board members provide a minimum annual gift of $10,000 per individual member, $20,000 per Leadership Circle member and $25,000 per corporation."

At least she would have some idea what is happening in SA and it may be a good appointment with special reference to woman rights and the promotion of small business developments - especially by women in SA.

Relationship between the US and SA is not necessarily all that rosy and President Ramaphosa can cause a more frosty relationship if he refuses to accept Marks's appointment.    

Rooinek

Do you know anything about Marks and why is her SA background a detrimental factor?  

I know you have strong anti-Trump sentiments - but is it necessary to stay to facts.  That mythical discussion is a stretch of imagination that sounds funny - but do you really know whether Trump does not know where SA is and that he is unaware of the fact that SA has a White component of its citizenry?

So why should Ramaphosa say "get serious" - he needs working together with the USA and cannot afford to antagonize the present US Government.   In any event that the faction ridden Democratic Party woul have a different policy pleasing more people outside of the USA you must study USA politics carefully.   A lot of new House members assured their voters they would support elements of the Trump policies in the House and Senate - otherwise they were toast.   They are not going to change that attitude before the 2020 elections.

I never posted the article to cause another anti-Trump tantrum, but rather from a local interest point of view.   Certainly a Xhoza and Afrikaans speaker would find it easier to communicate with two important local communities and a person attached to a Harvard institution  could give valuable advice and assistance as to small business development which is a key to economic recovery in SA. 

Those are little countries where few people know they even exist.

I gained the impression that Ambassador appointment other than  to key countries like for instance the UK, Russia and China and other major counties require confirmation by the Senate - while in the main other such officials in smaller countries  are there more for PRO and communication purposes and not any real diplomatic functions.  The Embassies are  staffed with experts on lower levels.

However, no I do not know what the norms for appointment of Ambassadors are - but I once went out a couple of times with the daughter of one.  He was an oilman from Texas and a friend of Johnson.

I stayed with friends on a farm outside of Pretoria for years.  The wife of my friend was a South African  working  for many years in the US embassy,   We had up to 50 mostly embassy staff members on the farm every Sunday for lunch.   Some were very senior Embassy officials and they were real professionals - one of them was Asa Evans from a famous Alabama family. So I at one stage had contacts with a wide variety of  US embassy staff and from my perspective that was a very real situation. 

Only comment to that last article: "Is selecting people you know and trust not better than our system of using Diplomatic posts as rewards for being exposed for corruption/ineptitude?"

They may know the countries exist - but where those are located would be way beyond their knowledge.  Nepal perhaps - but the rest most all people have problems with,

No - Rooinek - ambassadors to countries like SA are PRO's nothing more.   Any real issues are dealt with by senior embassy staff.

Name me how many other Ambassadors from the USA in SA was professional diplomats.  From experience those posts are routinely filled by friends and business partners of the President.   Trump is by far not the first President making that kind of appointment.      

Damn, but you are one of the most negative personas I've ever encountered. Almost always looking for the worst possible explanations for the acts of those you do not like or differ with. Man it must suck to walk around with all that negativity. It almost hurt seeing it from where I'm standing....All the LMAO's and Hahahahahaaa's with absolute no mirth...dark sh!t!

Damn I was blind all these years.

Rooinek

I did now see that article referring to the appointment of Ms Marks = but I wonder -

*   what the article have to do with Ms Marks's appointment; and 

*   whether Trump taking his daughter with him on foreign trips can be regarded as a mortal sin; and

*   whether the registration of patents for which Trump's daughter has applied long before the trip - is really anything but propaganda.  There is nowhere in the world where applications for  registration of patents is a criminal offence.   

You cowar out in other ways...

Well we know he attended a non technical private school and he seems to think only dumb people attend technical schools...as punishment for sub standard academic achievement....ignorant snob.

Rooi, you'd be surprised how much you give away about yourself with all these stupid spats...and you can call me stupid all you like, you know and I know that you look down on certain people despite some condescending remarks to the contrary.

I get along with most people on the internet and in real life, but man your constant negative pestering really irks me. At least you are nice towards Mike and a couple of others, but I suspect that's got more to do with your war against Moz than a sense of civility.

Having said all that, this has gone far enough. I'm stopping all negative comments towards you henceforth. 

Rooi, I said I would stop saing negative things about you, never said I was going to ignore you...

Moz, I'm just tired of it and it's going nowhere.  I'm not going to change his mind and he will never win me over to his side, so it's pointless going at it all the time.

You coward out in other ways...

Exactly right, who will forget him slunk off the board holding onto the seat of his pants only to reappear as Koosie once he discovered that his nemesis Hawkeye had passed. Have no fear of him Draad, he's just an insignificant keyboard warrior who thrives on bullying.

Tell us about your career.

Seriously now.......there ain't none.

Aaaww Shut-up you nauseating bore!