US president nominates Lana Marks as ambassador to SA

NICOLA MILTZ

This is in spite of the Jewish, East London-born socialite not being an experienced diplomat. Her expertise lies in the high-end fashion industry, and she is a personal friend of Trump.

The Deputy Spokesperson of the US Embassy in Pretoria, Carrie Schneider, confirmed that on 14 November, Trump had nominated Marks to be the next US ambassador to South Africa. “If confirmed by the Senate, Ms Marks will join a long list of distinguished Americans who have served in this important position,” she said.

According to the statement from the White House, “President Donald J Trump announced his intent to nominate… Lana J Marks of Florida to be ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States of America to South Africa.”

The US has not had an ambassador in South Africa since Patrick Gaspard vacated his post in December 2016, with its mission being overseen by a chargé d’affaires.

Marks was quick to tweet her delight at being nominated. On 16 November at 23:29, she tweeted, “Deeply honoured to be the nominee for ambassador of the United States of America to South Africa! G-d bless America, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrica!”

Marks, previously Lana Bank, was born and raised in East London, but lives in Palm Beach, Florida. She left South Africa about 40 years ago, but claims that she is fluent in Xhosa and Afrikaans.

She is best known for her five and six-figure exotic leather handbags, worn by red-carpet celebrities like Benoni-born Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, and Helen Mirren; and for her friendship with the late Diana, Princess of Wales. She is the owner and chief executive of Lana Marks Collections.

But according to newspaper reports, Marks also allegedly has a trail of business and personal lawsuits against her. She is currently embroiled in a bitter family feud involving millions with her sister, Anne Pogroske, 62, in Australia and her brother Malcolm Bank, 58, a dentist in Israel, over the family’s trusts and assets.

Marks, 65, is being sued by her estranged siblings who have accused her of “unlawfully” taking millions in property, jewellery, and cash from a family trust, and from their ailing mother, Blanche, who has dementia.

It is a complicated affair which has been going on for several years. Marks’s sister, Pogroske, told the SA Jewish Report that her relationship with her sister had soured to such an extent, she no longer wanted anything to do with her.

Marks is good friends with Trump and first lady, Melania.

The presidential couple celebrated with them at Marks’ daughter’s wedding, held at Trump’s famous Mar-a-Lago Club, when Tiffany Marks married Simon Isaacs on Valentine’s Day in 2010. The lavish wedding was the talk of the town, and the bride wore a ruffled organza gown by Oscar de la Renta. According to local news reports at the time, the wedding for 300 guests included pyrotechnics, two cocktail receptions, a six-tiered wedding cake, and an ice sculpture.

According to the Palm Beach Daily News, Marks is the fourth member of the exclusive, private Mar-a-Lago Club – founded by Trump – that the president has nominated for an ambassadorship.

When Marks became aware of her nomination on 21 October, she tweeted: “Lived in S Africa a third of my life; studied at Wits Univ; spoke fluent Xhosa; passed the Hoërtaalbond Eksamen in Afrikaans; background in SA political, economic, social & media landscape; businesswoman for 30 years; mom for 37 years; wife for 42 years; ninja, forever!!”

Marks’ nomination comes at a time of tense relations between the two countries after a tweet in August in which Trump asked his secretary of state to study South African “land and farm seizures”.

South Africa accused Trump of stoking racial divisions with the comments, which it called “misinformed”.

There have been many strong reactions on social media platforms following Marks’ nomination, some downright rude. Some warned her that the position was not for the faint-hearted, others desperately tried to explain the sad state of corruption in the country.

Some tweets asked her to look out for the interests of farmers, and asked whether she was familiar with land reform.

She was warned to lock her doors at night; asked how long it took her to put her make up on; and whether she intended opening a handbag shop. Tweets about land invasions, poverty, government corruption, and black economic empowerment gave Marks her first introduction to the online chatter that she can come to expect if and when she hits our shores, with warnings that “local Twitter can be ruthless”.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is believed to be considering her nomination. Marks did not respond to requests for comment.