Kim Campbell dances while Canadian delegation takes in Nelson Mandela memorial

What is going on is South Africa right now? It seems a delegation of Canadian leaders, past and present, sent to attend the memorial for former South African president Nelson Mandela can't help but make headlines.

On Tuesday, as the world tuned in to celebrate Mandela's life, some Canadian politicians were temporarily denied entry to the massive memorial.

The memorial was being held in a Johannesburg soccer stadium that seats 95,000 people, with scores of world leaders, hundreds of dignitaries and several celebrities in attendance.

[ Related: Obama thrills crowd, hails Mandela as a liberation hero ]

Yet part of Canada’s delegation almost didn’t make the guest list, despite taking an 18-hour flight to be there. According to the Canadian Press, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, four provincial premiers and several others were set to be refused access by the South African protocol office. In the end, the entire party was allowed in.

The near miss came after reports that Canadian officials reportedly tried to move South African media out of the way when the delegation arrived in Pretoria, South Africa, yesterday.

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In the end, thankfully, these small distractions proved modest and the attention remained on Mandela, his memory and the celebration of his life and success as a champion of equality.

And former Canadian prime minister Kim Campbell couldn't be happier about it.