Marching and steel bands and dancing girls greeted the Taoiseach and his party at Johannesburg Magistrates' Court yesterday morning as he performed the opening of Citizen Advice Desks, part-funded by Ireland Aid.
The normally austere and forbidding court building - the stage for many dramatic scenes in the apartheid era - was transformed as entertainers sang and danced in honour of the Irish visitors.
Inaugurating the projects, Mr Ahern said that while Irish co-operation with South Africa was modest, it "responds to the strong wish of Irish people to demonstrate solidarity with South Africans as they strive to build a better future." Ireland Aid has pledged £210,000 over two years to fund five citizens' advice desks in Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria.
But while Mr Ahern acknowledged the contribution was "modest", the enthusiasm of the speeches, musicians and dancers suggested Ireland might just have agreed to write off South Africa's entire external debt.
A steel band backed up by other traditional instruments belted out celebratory music in honour of the Irish guests. After a series of speeches, Mr Ahern and his party were escorted to the door, where a marching band of teenagers dressed in scarlet uniforms played the Irish and South African national anthems.
Mr Ahern, his partner, Ms Celia Larkin, and a number of officials were invited to join the band in a march around the court building. Off they went, baton twirlers in front, followed by the Taoiseach and the rest of the Irish, followed by the band, and with a small troupe of dancing girls taking up the rear.
Back inside, the Taoiseach attempted to do a television interview, but was constantly interrupted by the sound of drums, whistles and shouting from other parts of the building. Finally, the party went to leave but they were surprised to be confronted with a further group of girls and drummers in a corridor, waiting to perform in Mr Ahern's honour.
These girls were not wearing very much - a fact that became even more apparent during the more energetic parts of their routine. Their dance resembled a speeded-up version of the New Zealand haka, and involved startling the Irish and local onlookers by rushing at them occasionally without warning and shouting loudly.
When the Taoiseach finally left, Ms Larkin made an unscheduled return visit to Atteridgeville, the township outside Pretoria she visited on Tuesday. According to a Government spokesman, she had been very interested in the projects she had seen attempting to deal with child poverty and was keen to visit again.