Obama paying tribute to Mandela in S. Africa

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are greeted upon their arrival at Waterkloof Air Base, Friday, June 28, 2013, in Centurion, South Africa. The president is in South Africa, embarking on the second leg of his three-country African journey. The visit comes at a poignant time, with former South African president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela ailing in a Johannesburg hospital. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

JOHANNESBURG — President Barack Obama is meeting with South Africa’s leader in a visit that will pay tribute to the legacy of critically ill former President Nelson Mandela.

As Obama harkens back to Mandela’s leadership against apartheid, he’ll also be trying to engage Africa’s future. He has a youth town hall Saturday at the University of Johannesburg, where he’ll receive an honorary law degree.

Obama’s day is scheduled to begin with a bilateral meeting and news conference with President Jacob Zuma.

They’ll be meeting only about a 10-minute drive from the Pretoria hospital where 94-year-old Mandela lies in critical condition. But the president has indicated that he’s not angling for a visit and that he doesn’t want to be obtrusive.