Top News Online
Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP
Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok has apologized for a comment that he was ‘dreading’ going to Nelson Mandela’s funeral in South Africa.
Not every word leader, it seems, is anxious to attend Nelson Mandela‘s funeral.
The Czech Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok has admitted he was “dreading” the long trip to South Africa and that he had other plans during the time of the funeral, namely a lunch and a dinner.
PHOTOS: WORLD REMEMBERS BELOVED SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA
Rusnok’s unguarded comments came during a conversation in the Czech parliament with his defense minister colleague, Vladimir Picek.
Siphiwe Sibeko/AP
Former South African President Nelson Mandela died on Thursday at the age of 95.
He was discussing the fact that he may have to be the small European country’s representative at the Dec. 15 funeral because the president is recovering from a knee operation.
RELATED: NELSON MANDELA DEAD AT 95: LEADER WAS ‘FATHER OF DEMOCRACY’
Unfortunately for the prime minister, the words were picked up by the state broadcaster and transmitted on national television. From there, they have been reported around the world.
Addressing his companion by the Czech equivalent of “dude”, Mr. Rusnok said, “I’m dreading that I will have to go.”
Matt Dunham/AP
Since his death, mourners from around the world have set up makeshift memorials.
RELATED: MANDELA EMBRACED OVERJOYED NYC IN 1990
He then complains about how the journey to mark the death of the revered anti-apartheid leader would interrupt his social plans.
Rusnok has since apologized for his comments.
“I apologize for those words,” he said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “It was not right to use such terms in connection with the death of Nelson Mandela.” Mandela visited Prague in 1992, two years after his release from prison.
