Nomad_Africa_Edition12

“Courageous people do not fear forgiving for the sake of
peace” – became a very relevant saying by Mandela when he
personally met with senior figures of the apartheid regime,
emphasising personal forgiveness and reconciliation.
phy to Captain Francois Pienaar, an
Afrikaner, wearing a Springbok shirt with
Pienaar's own number 6 on the back. This
was widely seen as a major step in the reconciliation
of white and black South
Africans winning the hearts of millions of
white rugby fans."
MILESTONES
There are so many milestones in Mandela’s
life, from his autobiography of “Long Walk
to Freedom” to his acceptance of the
Nobel Peace Prize.
December 1997 saw Mandela stepping
down as president and the ANC elected
President Thabo Mbeki to take the lead.
Mandela retired in June 1999, seeking a
quiet family life and dividing his time between
Johannesburg and his home village
Qunu, but soon he reverted back to a busy
public life with a daily programme of tasks,
meeting with world leaders and celebrities,
and working with the Nelson Mandela
Foundation, founded in 1999, to focus on
rural development, school construction,
and combating HIV/AIDS.
INDELIBLE LEGACY AND CONTRIBUTION TO
MANKIND
From 2011 onwards, Mandela’s failing
health attracted international attention, but
even after a successful medical procedure
in early March 2013, his lung infection recurred
and worsened, and he was re-hospitalised
in Pretoria in a serious condition.
On 1 September 2013, Mandela was discharged
from hospital, although his condition
remained unstable. After suffering
from a prolonged respiratory infection,
Nelson Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Mandela
died on 5 December 2013 at the age
of 95 at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg,
surrounded by his family and his
death announced on television by President
Jacob Zuma. What followed was a
country in deep mourning, with the world
participating – such was the profound grief
felt in the hearts and minds of millions of
people.
Mandela was married three times, fathered
six children, had 17 grandchildren and
many great-grandchildren.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela has come to be
widely considered "the father of the nation"
within South Africa, a founding father
of democracy and national liberator, and it
is common knowledge that during the last
years of his life, he came to be regarded
almost as a living Saint among the people
of South Africa – his era “a golden age of
hope and harmony” - such was the greatness
of the man, leaving an indelible
legacy and contribution to all mankind.
80 | www.nomadafricamag.com | ...Celebrating the world’s richest continent | Issue 12