In the German media Africa was still terra incognita. But not only in the media, in politics as well. When “Africa” or “African countries” were mentioned, it was usually South Africa that was meant. South Africa was an economic great power in Africa, but not an African country – a country with racial segregation, governed by an oligarchic European élite. It had already been granted legislative autonomy from London in 1931 and it withdrew from the Commonwealth in 1961, mainly because of its apartheid policies. South Africa had also been the destination for many German emigrants, during the Nazi period as well as afterwards. As a result it had a high profile in the German media.

In the middle of the twentieth century, the fact that South Africa's policies and laws were a variant of the Nazi system we had just overcome hadn't made a dent in the consciousness of the German public. The South African media were determined to project a positive image of their country and made themselves out to be special friends of Germany. They often reflected sympathy for the racist policies of the Third Reich.

Eugen Gerstenmaier was President of the Bundestag, the Federal Parliament, at the time. He was also President of the German Africa Society founded in 1952. As it happens, there wasn't a single African member of that society, which was only dissolved in 1978. As President of the society, Gerstenmaier was officially invited to Pretoria and expected to give a speech to the South African parliament. So he was going to speak before an oligarchic assembly from which the majority of the indigenous population was excluded by racist laws. Because he was an enthusiastic hunter, the offer of an elephant hunt was added on as an incentive to make the trip. Fortunately the journey was called off at short notice in response to protests in the German media – including the Afrika-Bulletin.

This was a prime example of the political naiveté about African politics that prevailed in those days, in the German public and even among the political leadership. Alarm bells should have been ringing in the Foreign Office as soon as the arrangements for that visit got underway.