Originally Posted by
FlyerMC
... as I have already paid about $10,000 in tours and done tons of other planning.
My hope is the AA Liaison Desk finds another way ...
That's why travel insurance is advisable.
Before you talk to AA, you should have a good idea of how you want to be accommodated. Change your flight date but remain on IB? Route through London (and Cape Town)? If you want a BA flight, check availability so you can suggest a concrete plan to AA.
EDIT: It appears that IB is discontinuing MAD <-> JNB, with the last flight on 29 April 2012. This is very bad news, indeed. But this development increases the chances that AA will book you on a BA flight. Whether you will have to pay the BA fuel surcharge is a big unknown. Be firm that you should not have to pay it because it's not your fault that IB discontinued the route.