Mistakes Happen

George and Barbara Bush mistakenly express condolences about death of still-alive Nelson Mandela

File photo of Nelson Mandela when the World Cup was held in South Africa in 2010.

News outlets were surprised to receive a statement early Sunday morning from former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, expressing condolences at the death of Nelson Mandela.

The 95-year-old South African leader has been in a Pretoria hospital for three months with a recurring lung infection and was still listed in “critical condition” when he was discharged to his Johannesburg home Sunday. But no one has reported his death.

The statement sent social media sites into a frenzy. Did the Bushes know something we don't?

Turns out, it was all a mistake, as longtime Bush spokesman Jim McGrath tweeted about a few minutes after the condolence statement went out.

President Bush 41 statement on Nelson Mandela sent after seeing Wash Post news flash. We have no independent verification.

— Jim McGrath (@jgm41) September 1, 2013

In the statement, Bush expressed great praise for Mandela.

Barbara and I mourn the passing of one of the greatest believers in freedom we have had the privilege to know. As President, I watched in wonder as Nelson Mandela had the remarkable capacity to forgive his jailers following 26 years of wrongful imprisonment — setting a powerful example of redemption and grace for us all. He was a man of tremendous moral courage, who changed the course of history in his country. Barbara and I had great respect for President Mandela, and send our condolences to his family and countrymen."

South Africa presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj called the initial claim by Bush's office "incorrect."

"We see it as an error on his side and not make a big deal about it," Maharaj said in a statement.

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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