“What
counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference
we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the
life we lead.” — Nelson Mandela
As the news broke, in the late hours of 5 December 2013,
that Nelson Mandela had passed away, a collective sense of grief descended on
both the country and in fact, the whole world.
Nelson Mandela has been revered as the Father of our
democracy and is affectionately known as “Tata” (Father in the ixhosa language)
by most South Africans. He single-handedly embodied all that was good about our
peaceful transition from apartheid to a fledgling democracy. For one who spent
27 years in jail he emerged incomprehensibly without hate or bitterness and
started the process where the nation could heal itself through the first
democratic elections to the Truth and Reconciliation process.
The days following his passing have been marked with an
uncontrollable outpouring of love. Citizens from all walks of life, young and
old, black and white have been united in their sadness and willingness to
celebrate his life and what he personally sacrificed for his beliefs and our
country.
Since Thursday night citizens have been holding vigil
outside his Houghton home in Johannesburg, laying flowers, lighting candles,
saying prayers and paying their respect.
Around the country, this coming week is dedicated to a
celebration of his life. In Johannesburg a commemoratory service is to be held
at the FNB Stadium. The service is to be attended by many heads of states,
politicians, royalty and many well-known personalities as well as regular
citizens from all walks of life. Mandela's body will lie in state in a glass
coffin at the Union Buildings in Pretoria from Wednesday until Friday, and his
coffin will be delivered each day from the nearby 1 Military Hospital in Thaba
Tshwane, Pretoria.
In Cape Town a memorial service and musical celebration
will be held at the Cape Town Stadium with free entrance and free public
transport to all. The last few nights we have seen his image projected onto
Table Mountain.
The final state funeral will be held on Sunday in Qunu,
his home town in Eastern Cape, where he will be laid to rest.
My question is “What does this mean for us as South
Africans?” Personally I mourn his passing. I was lucky enough to have met
Nelson Mandela, and while I did not know him personally, his death still
affects me deeply. My hope is that we, as citizens of the world, take the
lessons we have learnt from this great leader and apply them to our daily lives
both as individuals and as collective organisations.
“Nelson Mandela believed in harnessing the power of the
collective to bring about change. Nelson Mandela has left us a legacy that will
forever inspire the generations to come. He embodied all of humanity’s hopes
and dreams. He saw what was possible before others could fully comprehend that
one day South Africa would take a leap from being a pariah state and become a
beacon of hope.” - Ellis Mnyandu
RIP Nelson Mandela
Robin Mcleod
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