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The treatment of President Jacob Zuma at the hands of a certain portion of the British press - most notably the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror - does not excuse his quite extraordinary attack on Britain and the British people.

Instead of rising above predictable criticism from a particular quarter of the British press, he has allowed himself to be dragged down to the level of the tabloids. By accusing the British people of believing that Africans are "barbaric and inferior", he has insulted his hosts, and no doubt undermined the entire purpose of the state visit - which is to strengthen relations between South Africa and the United Kingdom.

President Zuma must now forget the tabloids and focus on matters of state. He needs to promote South Africa as a tourist destination for the FIFA World Cup and beyond. He needs to strengthen trade links between the two countries. And he needs to desist from defending Robert Mugabe and other human rights abusers on our continent.

The President must rise to the occasion for the sake of all South Africans. This is a real test of his abilities as a statesmanship. We cannot afford for him to fail it.