"May Mandela's light forever shine down on the South African people" Judelle Drake
Tribute to Nelson Mandela - 1918 - 2013
Today,
06/12/2013 is a sad day for all South Africans
Our beloved Nelson Mandela, died last night 05/12/2013 aged 95 after a long illness.
As an ordinary South African citizen, I never had the privilege of meeting this icon of our times
However, Nelson's personality, charm, leadership qualities, love of people and great statesmanship shone through always, whenever he appeared on TV.
I just loved that unique voice, those colourful shirts that have become such a trademark that vendors make a living selling them, the joy on Nelson's face at the
1995 Rugby World Cup, his love for all South African sports, his gentleness with children and his quest for a better life for all in South Africa. A truly unique man who became an icon in his lifetime.
South Africa still has many problems to contend with politically but we hope that Nelson's spirit and example will live on as an example in the people of our beloved South Africa.
Some of Nelson Mandela's quotes below:
Unlike some politicians, I can admit to a mistake.
"If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness."
If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.
For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness.
I am confident that nobody... will accuse me of selfishness if I ask to spend time, while I am still in good health, with my family, my friends and also with myself.
I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.
Read more at
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/nelson_mandela_2.html#GJZYQfJlVihfdtcM.99
The following history is courtesy of "News 24" 6/12/2013
Johannesburg -
Nelson Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle and
one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, has died aged 95.
Mandela, who was elected South Africa's first black president after spending
nearly three decades in prison, had been receiving treatment for a lung
infection at his Johannesburg home since September, after three months in
hospital in a critical state.
His condition deteriorated and he died following complications from the lung
infection, with his family by his side.
Announcement
The news was announced by a clearly emotional President
Jacob Zuma live on television, who said
Mandela had "departed" and was at peace.
"Our nation has lost its greatest son," said Zuma.
"What made Nelson Mandela great is precisely what made him human," he
said.
Mandela, once a boxer, had a long history of lung problems after contracting
tuberculosis while in jail on
Robben Island.
His extraordinary life story, quirky sense of humour and lack of bitterness
towards his former oppressors ensured global appeal for the charismatic
leader.
Once considered a terrorist by the United States and Britain for his support
of violence against the apartheid regime, at the time of his death he was an
almost unimpeachable moral icon.
The
Nobel Peace Prize winner spent 27 years behind bars before being freed in
1990 to lead the African National Congress (ANC) in negotiations with the white
minority rulers which culminated in the first multi-racial elections in
1994.
A victorious Mandela served a single term as president before taking up a new
role as a roving elder statesman and leading
Aids campaigner before finally
retiring from public life in 2004.
"When he emerged from prison people discovered that he was all the things
they had hoped for and more," fellow Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop
Desmond Tutu once said.
"He is by far the most admired and revered statesperson in the world and one
of the greatest human beings to walk this earth."
From prisoner to global peace icon
He was a global cause celebre during the long apartheid years, and popular
pressure led world leaders to tighten sanctions imposed on the apartheid
regime.
In 1988 at a concert in
Wembley stadium in
London, tens of thousands sang
"Free Nelson Mandela" as millions more watched on their television sets across
the world.
Born in July 1918 in the southeastern
Transkei region, Mandela carved out a
career as a lawyer in Johannesburg in parallel with his political activism.
He became commander-in-chief of
Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the
armed wing of the by now-banned ANC, in 1961, and the following year underwent
military training in
Algeria and
Ethiopia.
While underground back home in South Africa, Mandela was captured by police
in
1962 and sentenced to five years in prison.
He was then charged with sabotage and sentenced in 1964 to life in prison at
the
Rivonia trial, named after a Johannesburg suburb where a number of ANC
leaders were arrested.
He used the court hearing to deliver a speech that was to become the
manifesto of the anti-apartheid movement.
"During my lifetime, I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African
people. I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black
domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society.
"It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."
He was first sent to prison on Robben Island, where he spent 18 years before
being transferred in 1982 to Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town and later to Victor
Verster prison in nearby Paarl.
When he was finally released on
11 February 1990, walking out of prison with
his fist raised alongside his then-wife
Winnie.
Ex-prisoner 46664 was entrusted with the task of negotiating the path to
democracy with president
FW de Klerk.
Mandela and de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for
their role in the ending of apartheid.
After the ANC won the first multi-racial elections, Mandela went out of his
way to assuage the fears of the white minority, declaring his intention to
establish "a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world."
Critics said his five-year presidency was marred by corruption and rising
levels of crime. But his successors,
Thabo Mbeki and
Jacob Zuma, have never enjoyed anywhere
near the same levels of respect or affection.
In retirement, he focused his efforts on mediating conflicts, most notably in
Burundi, as well as trying to raise awareness and abolish the taboos surrounding
Aids, which claimed the life of his son Makgatho.
His divorce from second wife Winnie was finalised in
1996.
He found new love in retirement with
Graca Machel, the widow of the late
Mozambican president Samora Machel, whom he married on his 80th birthday.
"Every time Nelson Mandela walks in a room we all feel a little bigger, we
all want to stand up, we all want to cheer, because we'd like to be him on our
best day,"
Mandela is survived by three daughters, 18 grandchildren, nine
great-grandchildren and three step-grandchildren. He had four step-children
through his marriage to Machel.
His death has left his family divided over his wealth. Some of his children
and grandchildren are locked in a legal feud with his close friends over alleged
irregularities in his two companies.
GOOD-BYE MADIBA
