Ebrahim Rasool on Obama, Western Cape politics, the Middle East

Former ANC leader in the Western Cape, Ebrahim Rasool, was recalled as Premier of the province in 2008. After a short stint as a special adviser to Kgalema Motlanthe, who later became President, and a member of national Parliament, Rasool was sent to the United States as South Africa's ambassador.
His ambassadorship came about because in 2006 Rasool was the only serving politician prepared to meet with an unknown senator from Illinois called Barack Obama.
In this exclusive interview, Rasool talks about his relationship with Obama, his views on American politics, his relationship with South Africa's ruling party - of which he is still a member - and their chances in he upcoming local government elections. He also talks about the work he has been doing in conflict areas around the world and the conflict he sometimes feels between his religious beliefs and being a politician.