NELSON MANDELA 1918 - 2013: Freedom fighter, prisoner, president, global icon - the world mourns passing of man who freed his country and became an inspiration to billions
- South African President Jacob Zuma confirmed Mandela’s death in a TV address and said: 'Our nation has lost its greatest son’
- Former president passed away at his home in Johannesburg
- President Obama paid emotional tribute, saying: 'I cannot fully imagine my life without the example that Nelson Mandela set'
- David Cameron said a 'great light has gone out in in the world'
- Mandela had spent almost three months in hospital with a recurring lung infection
- He was discharged in September and had been receiving home-based medical attention since then
- The 20th century icon will be accorded a full state funeral
- The leader's daughters and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge learned of Mandela's death while attending the UK premier of a film about him
By Leon Watson, Dan Newling In Cape Town and Joshua Gardner
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Nelson Mandela has died at his home in Johannesburg, South Africa aged 95.
The anti-apartheid icon died at 12:50pm EST surrounded by close family.
Mandela's death came nearly five months after he was admitted to hospital with a lung infection.
Despite being allowed to return home three months ago, South Africa's first black president has not been able to move from a bedroom described as being a 'virtual 24 hour intensive care unit' and has needed a ventilator to breath.
In a televised address, South African president Jacob Zuma confirmed Nelson Mandela has died aged 95
Accompanied by his wife Winnie and supporters, anti-apartheid fighter Nelson Mandela walks out of Victor Verster Prison near Cape Town, a free man after 26 years of imprisonment
The anti-apartheid icon died at 12:50pm EST surrounded by close family. Mandela's death came nearly five months after he was admitted to hospital with a lung infection
Despite being allowed to return home three months ago, South Africa's first black president has not been able to move from a bedroom described as being a 'virtual 24 hour intensive care unit'
Rumors of Mr Mandela's increasing discomfort started circulating in the early afternoon Wednesday as increasing numbers of Mandela family members arrived at the former president's large Johannesburg home.
South Africa's president Jacob Zuma announced the long-expected death in a special television broadcast last night.
Mr Zuma said: 'Our nation has lost its greatest son.'
'What made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves.
'Fellow South Africans, Nelson Mandela brought us together and it is together that we will bid him farewell.'
The White House said tonight that the president is expected to travel to South Africa for Mandela's state funeral along with other world leaders.
'He achieved more than could be expected for any man and today he's gone home,’ Obama said at a news conference. 'Madiba transformed South Africa and moved all of us- his journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that humans can transform for the better.'
Mr Obama visited South Africa in June and met with the former president's family but did not personally meet with the ailing leader because his health was so poor at the time.
Vigil: South Africans light candles outside Nelson Mandela's home in Johannesburg following the revered icon's death on Thursday
Far-reaching grief: Lungi Morrison, the granddaughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, sings after lighting a candle for Nelson Mandela outside the South African High Commission in London
Taking to the streets: South Africans stand outside the Mandela family home after the death of Nelson Mandela. Citizens of the African nation took to the streets after their revered leader's death
Mementos: Flowers, candles and tributes are left in memory of Nelson Mandela outside the South African High Commission across from Trafalgar Square in London, including a poster from the film about the leader that premiered in the UK the night of his death
Grateful nation: People sit behind burning candles for former president Nelson Mandela on hearing of his passing outside his Johannesburg home
Sad but celebratory: While many people looked sombre and visibly emotional following news of Mandela's death, others celebrated his achievements by dancing and singing
Rapt: People listen to a radio outside Mr Mandela's house as news of his death was announced by South African president Jacob Zuma
A world indebted: Press gather outside Mandela's home. World leaders across the globe learned the somber news from South Africa's President Zuma. Many of them, notably US President Barack Obama, expressed their indebtedness to the late freedom fighter
Mr Obama previously had a personal meeting when he was just a Senator.
He said that the very first political action in his life, let alone his career, was his participation in an anti-apartheid rally held in Mandela's honor.
'We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again, so it falls to us' to live by his example and 'make decisions not by hate but by love,' Mr Obama said in the press conference.
He said that the thoughts and prayers of the first family and the American people were with Mr Mandela's family.
'His life's work meant long days away from those who loved him most,' saying that he hoped they were able to value the last few months together.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron led the tributes to Mandela in that country.
'Nelson Mandela showed us the true meaning of courage, hope, and reconciliation,' Cameron said. 'My heart goes out to his family - and to all in South Africa and around the world whose lives were changed through his courage.'
Cameron tweeted that the flag at No 10 Downing Street would be flown at half-mast.
'A great light has gone out in the world,' Cameron said. 'Nelson Mandela was a hero of out time.
Although increasingly frail, Mandela had been in an out of the hospital over the past five years, he was last rushed to hospital on June 8th this year.
A nation mourns: South African president Jacob Zuma tells the world of Mandela's passing in this screen grab of his Thursday address
'I cannot fully imagine my life without the example that Nelson Mandela set,' said President Obama at a news conference. The White House said the US president will travel to South Africa to attend Mandela's fuenral
Just before his death: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they arrived Thursday night to the UK premier of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom just before the film's inspiration and subject died at 95
Ominous timing: Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, greets Zindzi Mandela, right, and her sister Zenani, the daughters of former Nelson Mandela at the UK premier. The sisters reportedly only learned of their father's death as they watched the movie about his life
family begins to emerge: An unidentified granddaughter of former South African president Nelson Mandela leaves his house following his death in Johannesburg on Thursday
Global leader: The United Nations Security Council observes a minute of silence upon the news of the noted peacemaker's death
He was initially treated for a lung infection, but with three weeks his condition, it was announced, had turned 'critical'.
The South African government has never disclosed the full extent of his illness, but reputable news sources revealed that his liver and kidneys were functioning at just 50 percent.
South African media reported that he was on ventilation and undergoing regular renal dialysis.
Nelson Mandela was one of the world's most admired and beloved political leaders, an icon of the redemptive power of reconciliation.
Proud: Mandela always wanted to be seen as a man of the people and his 'big tent' approach to reaching out to the common man was widely adored
Happy family: Nelson and Winnie Mandela show off their firstborn daughter, Zindzi, at their home in Orlando West, Soweto in 1961
Starting out: From left to right are African National Congress (ANC) leader J.S. Moroka, ANC Youth League leader Nelson Mandela and President of the South African Indian Congress Yusuf Dadoo outside a Johannesburg courtroom during a trial connected with the Defiance Campaign in 1952
In court: Nelson Mandela pictured left in South Africa in 1961 and right speaking outside Drill Hall during the Treason Trial, the first major trial for treason in South Africa, in Johannesburg in 1961
South Africans took to the streets of Johannesburg in their droves to mourn former president Nelson Mandela after news of his death broke.
Mourners
converged on Mandela's home in the capital to light candles and pay
tribute to the man who ended apartheid and gave them their freedom.
While some looked sombre and quietly said prayers following Mandela's passing, others celebrated his achievements in a loud show of patriotism and pride.
Crowds, made up of all creeds, races and religions, sang loudly together, danced and waved candles just yards from where the former president died.
Many chanted 'it's in our hands now', referring to the legacy that Mandela has left and that many of the crowd now feel is their responsibility to continue.
Hundreds of people waved South Africa flags, embraced, clapped and chanted Mr Mandela's name as they remembered their first democratically elected president.
Here UK Prime Minister David Cameron, meets with Mandela in 2006 in Johannesburg. Cameron led the UK tributes to the South African leader Thursday. 'Nelson Mandela showed us the true meaning of courage, hope, and reconciliation,' said the PM
Mourning Madiba: President Barack Obama was one of the first world leaders to make a statement following Nelson Mandela's death
'I STUDIED HIS WORDS AND WRITINGS': PRESIDENT OBAMA EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO MANDELA AS HE PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE LATE LEADER
OBAMA'S ENTIRE SPEECH AS FOLLOWS...
At his trial in 1964, Nelson Mandela closed his statement from the dock saying: “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
And Nelson Mandela lived for that ideal, and he made it real. He achieved more than could be expected of any man. Today, he has gone home. And we have lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth. He no longer belongs to us – he belongs to the ages.
Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa – and moved all of us. His journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings – and countries – can change for the better.
His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives. And the fact that he did it all with grace and good humour, and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections, only makes the man that much more remarkable. As he once said, “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
I am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela’s life. My very first political action, the first thing I ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics, was a protest against apartheid. I studied his words and his writings. The day that he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they’re guided by their hopes and not by their fears. And like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set, and so long as I live I will do what I can to learn from him.
To Graca Machel and his family, Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude for sharing this extraordinary man with us. His life’s work meant long days away from those who loved him the most. And I only hope that the time spent with him these last few weeks brought peace and comfort to his family.
To the people of South Africa, we draw strength from the example of renewal, and reconciliation, and resilience that you made real. A free South Africa at peace with itself – that’s an example to the world, and that’s Madiba’s legacy to the nation he loved.
We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again. So it falls to us as best we can to forward the example that he set: to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love; to never discount the difference that one person can make; to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice.
For now, let us pause and give thanks for the fact that Nelson Mandela lived – a man who took history in his hands, and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice. May God bless his memory and keep him in peace.
In this 2011 meeting, the first daughters Malia (left) and Sasha (right) join their mother Michelle Obama for a sit down with Mandela
Unforgettable pose: Prime Minister David Cameron meets with Mandela in 2008, as the South African leader shoots his famously endearing grin
Nelson Mandela is pictured during a visit by former U.S. president Bill Clinton on July 17, 2012 at his home in Qunu, Eastern Cape, on the eve of his 94th birthday
PARTING WORDS TO AN HISTORIC LEADER: SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA'S GOODBYE SPEECH TO NELSON MANDELA
'My fellow South Africans, our beloved Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the founding president of our democratic nation has departed.
'He passed on peacefully in the company of his family around 20.50 on December 5 2013.
'He is now resting. He is now at peace.
'Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father.
'Although we knew that this day would come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss.
'His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world.
'His humility, his compassion, and his humanity earned him their love. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mandela family. To them we owe a debt of gratitude.
'They have sacrificed much and endured much so that our people could be free.
'Our thoughts are with his wife Mrs Graca Machel, his former wife Ms Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, with his children, his grandchildren, his great grandchildren and the entire family.
'Our thoughts are with his friends, comrades and colleagues who fought alongside Madiba over the course of a lifetime of struggle.
'Our thoughts are with the South African people who today mourn the loss of the one person who, more than any other, came to embody their sense of a common nationhood.
'Our thoughts are with the millions of people across the world who embraced Madiba as their own, and who saw his cause as their cause.
'This is the moment of our deepest sorrow.
'Our nation has lost its greatest son.
'Yet, what made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves.
'And in him we saw so much of ourselves.
'Fellow South Africans, Nelson Mandela brought us together, and it is together that we will bid him farewell.
'Our beloved Madiba will be accorded a state funeral.
'I have ordered that all flags of the Republic of South Africa be lowered to half-mast from tomorrow, December 6, and to remain at half-mast until after the funeral.
'As we gather to pay our last respects, let us conduct ourselves with the dignity and respect that Madiba personified.
'Let us be mindful of his wishes and the wishes of his family.
'As we gather, wherever we are in the country and wherever we are in the world, let us recall the values for which Madiba fought.
'Let us reaffirm his vision of a society in which none is exploited, oppressed or dispossessed by another.
'Let us commit ourselves to strive together - sparing neither strength nor courage - to build a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.
'Let us express, each in our own way, the deep gratitude we feel for a life spent in service of the people of this country and in the cause of humanity.
'This is indeed the moment of our deepest sorrow.
'Yet it must also be the moment of our greatest determination.
'A determination to live as Madiba has lived, to strive as Madiba has strived and to not rest until we have realised his vision of a truly united South Africa, a peaceful and prosperous Africa, and a better world.
'We will always love you, Madiba!
'May your soul rest in peace.
'God Bless Africa.
'Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika.'
Inspiration: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, right, meets with former South Africa President Nelson Mandela at his home in Qunu, South Africa, last year
Former South African president and ex-leader of African National Congress (ANC) Nelson Mandela with American talkshow host Oprah Winfrey in 2005
Widely adored: A 1997 meeting of Mandela and Prime Minister Tony Blair at St Andrews
Men of dignity: Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama in Cape Town in 1996
Royal welcome: The Queen sits with South African President Nelson Mandela at a state banquet held in the Queen's honour in Cape Town in March 1995 - the first state visit to the country in almost 50 years
In London, royals, celebrities and members of Nelson Mandela's family--including his two daughters--attended the UK premiere of the biographical film of his life and were oblivious to the fact that he'd died just hours earlier.
Speaking from the Odeon cinema, Prince William said: 'I just wanted to say it's extremely sad and tragic news.
'We
were just reminded what an extraordinary and inspiring man Nelson
Mandela was. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. It's
very sad.'
It was not clear what had happened to Mandela's daughter, including Zindzi, who appeared jovial and relaxed walking the red carpet before the premiere but seemed overcome when she got inside.
Family man: He is survived by second wife Machel (right), his daughter Makaziwe by his first marriage, and daughters Zindzi and Zenani with Machel
Zindzi Mandela the daughter of Nelson Mandela poses for photographers as she arrives to attend the UK premiere of her father's biopic. Reports at the time of his death said his daughter only learned the news while in the theater
Shocking news: Zindzi Mandela, center, the daughter of Nelson Mandela arrives to attend the UK premiere of the movie "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" not long before the sisters learned of their iconic father's death
Here, the Mandela sisters are pictured with Anant Singh, the producer of the film about their father
The former lawyer spent 27 years in apartheid prisons for his political beliefs before becoming South Africa's first black president.
His critical role in both achieving full democracy in South Africa and then keeping the peace when it arrived in 1994 earned him a Nobel Peace Prize.
But it was the magnanimity he showed his former oppressors - coupled with an intense personal charm - that has earned him admirers all over the globe.
A huge state funeral, attended by most world leaders, is expected to be held in the coming days.
Having served just one term as president of South Africa, Mr Mandela retired from public life in 2004 and has only rarely been glimpsed in public since then.
His
last public appearance was at football's 2010 World Cup final when his
wife had to support his arm to allow him to wave to the crowd.
As well as receiving treatment for prostate cancer, stomach pain and problems with his eyes, Mandela's most persistent medical problems have been respiratory.
He damaged his lungs and contracted tuberculosis while digging in a lime quarry during the 18 years he spent imprisoned on the notorious Robben Island, outside Cape Town.
He has been admitted to hospital numerous times over past decade - and five times since December last year.
He underwent treatment for, among other things, a respiratory disorder, a 'long-standing abdominal complaint', gallstones and, in April this year, for the removal of fluid from his lungs.
Such is Mandela's popularity in South Africa - where he is lionised for his role in healing the country's racial divides - that many public figures have tried to attach themselves to the former African National Congress (ANC) leader's legacy.
Jacob Zuma's decision, last April, to allow himself to be filmed standing next to an unsmiling, expressionless Mandela in hospital drew much adverse comment, including from Mandela's family.
The ANC's main political opposition, the Democratic Alliance, has also been accused of trying to 'hijack' his legacy by highlighting its historical connection to the man most South African refer to by his clan name Madiba.
South African Oscar-winner Charlize Theron led the tributes to Nelson Mandela tonight alongside movie mogul Harvey Weinstein - just hours after the Royal premiere of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Here, Weinstein greets stars Idris Elba (right) and Naomie Harris (center)
The former South African president with award winning actress, Charlize Theron, in South Africa in 2003 after she won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the movie Monster
Famous friends: British supermodel Naomi Campbell and Nelson Mandela at a Othandweni orphanage in Hillbrow, South Africa, in 2001
QUOTES FROM A GREAT MAN: UNFORGETTABLE WORDS SPOKEN BY NELSON MANDELA THAT HELPED TO SHAPE THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
‘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.’
‘If people can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite’.
‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear’.
‘Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another’.
‘The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.’
‘Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.’
‘If I had my time over I would do the same again. So would any man who dares call himself a man.’
‘There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.’
‘It always seems impossible until it is done.’
‘It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.’
‘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.’
While some political commentators have expressed a fear that Mandela's death could destabilise South Africa by re-opening racial wounds, most South Africans are well used to the idea of his passing.
Indeed,
most serious political analysts in the country recognise that Mr
Mandela's death is unlikely to create a political shockwave.
More significant, they say, may be the fact that without Mandela's immense moral authority, the ruling ANC party may be more vulnerable to charges of corruption and incompetence.
Mandela, who is generally considered to be 'the father' of modern South Africa, has said that his greatest regret has been his failure to have raised his own children.
He married three times. Two wives remain alive: his ex wife Winnie and Graca Machel. He has three remaining children, another four step children, 17 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
He was born into African aristocracy, a descendant of kings of the Thembu people, in Transkeiin 1918.
His father had four wives, among whom his mother ranked third.
He was the first of his family to
attend school, and it was his teacher who gave him the English name
Nelson in place of his given name, Rolihlahla.
At
19, he attended Fort Hare University, where he soon became involved in
student politics - or rather, in organising a boycott of them.
Rejecting a marriage arranged for him by his tribal elders, he became briefly a mine guard, then was articled to a Johannesburg law firm.
He began living in the Alexandra black township, and started law studies at Witwatersrand University, where he met fellow students and future political activists Ruth First, Joe Slovo and Harry Schwarz.
In the early 1950s, Mandela became deeply involved in radical resistance to apartheid, while he and fellow-activist Oliver Tambo ran a law firm, offering cheap advice to township residents.
Mandela was initially an admirer of India’s Mahatma Gandhi, committed to non-violent resistance. Yet in 1956, he and 150 others were arrested and charged with treason.
Upcoming release: A still from The Weinstein Company shows Idris Elba as Nelson Mandela in the upcoming film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
A still Idris Elba, left, as Nelson Mandela, and Riaad Moosa, as Mandela's fellow political prisoner Ahmed Kathrada, in the biographical film. The film premier in the UK the night Mandela died
On conviction, he and his fellow defendants escaped the gallows, but were sentenced to life imprisonment.
He spent the next 27 years behind bars, 18 of them on the notorious Robben Island, near Cape Town.
The film documenting parts of this struggle, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, stars Idris Elba as Mandela and Naomie Harris as his former wife Winnie.
In recent years various family members and friends have argued about how best to maintain his legacy. The disputes are now likely to worsen.
His marriage to Winnie had fallen apart after his release and he was now married to Graca Machel, the widowed former first lady of neighboring Mozambique.
He is survived by Machel; his daughter Makaziwe by his first marriage, and daughters Zindzi and Zenani by his second.
THE ANTI-APARTHEID FIGHTER WHO WENT TO PRISON FOR THE CAUSE
1960 69 peaceful protesters are killed by police in the Sharpeville Massacre; in the aftermath the ANC is banned, prompting Mandela to go into hiding. While in hiding he forms an underground military group with armed resistance
1962 After living on the run for seventeen months he is arrested on August 5 and imprisoned in the Johannesburg Fort. On October 25 he is sentenced to five years in prison but again goes on the run
1964 On June 12 Mandela is captured and convicted of sabotage and treason. He is sentenced to life imprisonment at the age of 46, initially on Robben island where he would be kept for 18 years
1968 His mother dies and his eldest son is killed in a car crash but he is not allowed to attend either of the funerals
1980 The exiled Oliver Tambo launches an international campaign for the release of his friend
1986 Sanctions against South Africa are tightened, costing millions in revenue
1990 On February 11, Nelson Mandela is released from prison after 27 years. He had served the last part of his sentence in Victor Verster Prison in Paarl.
President De Klerk lifts the ban on the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC and the white National Party begin talks on forming a multi-racial democracy for South Africa.
1991 Mandela becomes President of the ANC. The International Olympic Committee lift a 21-year ban on South African athletes competing in the Olympic Games.
1992 He separates from Winnie Mandela after she is convicted of kidnapping and being an accessory to assault. The following March they divorce.
1993 Nelson Mandela and Mr de Klerk are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
1994 April 26 Free Elections where black South Africans are allowed to vote for the first time.
Nelson Mandela runs for President and the ANC win 252 of the 400 seats in the national assembly
May Mandela is inaugurated as the first black president of South Africa. He appoints de Klerk as deputy president and forms the racially mixed Government of National Unity.
1995 South Africa hosts the 1995 Rugby World Cup and South Africa wins. Nelson Mandela wears a Springbok shirt when he presents the trophy to Afrikaner captain Francois Pienaar. This gesture was seen as a major step in the reconciliation of white and black South Africans.
1998 Marries Graca Machel, the widow of the former president of Mozambique, on his 80th birthday.
1999 Relinquishes presidency in favour of Thabo Mbeki, who was nominated ANC president in 1997.
2001 Nelson Mandela was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer
2004 June: Nelson Mandela announced that he would be retiring from public life at the age of 85
2005 His son, Makgatho Mandela died of AIDS
2010 Mandela makes a rare public appearance at the football World Cup in South Africa
2012 An increasingly frail Mandela is admitted to hospital twice in February and December
Source: www.history-timelines.org.uk
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Oh Madibaaaaaaa....i knew this day would come, but it still hurts that you are gone. REST IN PEACE......YOU FOUGHT THE FIGHT AND FINISHED THE RACE....WELL DONE!!
Humanities only shining light has sadly now been extinguished. May his memory be a guiding light for all mankind. R.I.P. Mr. Mandela, you will be greatly missed by all.
This great man exemplified the best qualities of humanity including an almost inhuman capacity to forgive and the best leadership style. When he came out of prison he only had to say the word and there could have been blood running down the streets from mayhem and rioting. Instead he spoke forgiveness and healing. Former President FW DeKlerk had such kind and heartfelt words to say about him. That speaks volumes.
He was a great man and the world needs great men and he will surely be missed. I don't want to seem to be a cynic but his death announced at the same time of the film about his life being screened in UK smacks of hollywoodism
Standing ovation, Well done, Mr. Mandela. You fought the good fight for so long. Thank you, now, rest.
There is comfort in the fact that his death will have us all a break from the countless Paul Walker stories. RIP Mandela.
RIP Mr Mandela. But let's not forget Church Street West, Pretoria, on the 20th of May 1983, then Amanzimtoti Shopping complex KZN on the 23rd of December 1985, then Krugersdorp Magistrate¿s Court on the 17th of March 1988, then Durban Pick ¿n Pay shopping complex on the 1st September of 1986, then Johannesburg Magistrate¿s Court on the 20th of May 1987 and then Pretoria Sterland cinema complex on the 16th of April 1988, then Roodepoort Standard Bank on the 3rd of June, 1988. May all the innocent victims rest in peace too.
While its always sad when somebody dies, this man was 95. I respect his legacy and achievements but this is in no way tragic. Do you expect him to live forever?
He could have been bitter, angry and full of hate after the life he had forced upon him, Instead he became a beacon of peace, love, forgiveness and reason. An example to the world.
The huge feet of the tragical loss heavily stamped upon the corpses of words ; as one of our poets put it ; no more words can be said . RIP hero of our time
Devoted his life to fighting racists and helping his people achieve fairness. There is no greater calling....and he has left many to continue the fight in against racism in other places than South Africa, including my own.
He was a terrible president, but because he was once in prison, that doesn't seem to matter to some people.
To deprive Mandela of his achievements is to almost say that u are okay with apartheid. True, he did some things wrong, he wasn¿t perfect no one is. But he did what he could to save his people from the evils of apartheid. He had his failings as a president but which president hasn¿t had any? Stop judging him and let him rest in peace. RIP MANDELA. MAY YOUR LEGACY LIVE ON.
as a white South African growing up and going to school where black people were not allowe. To be sitting next to black people at the world cup game and cheering our team together, is a feeling no one can describe the journey. I am so proud to have known him in my lifetime. R.I.P Madiba
There's reasons every UK university / polytechnic student union chose to name their main hall the 'Mandela Hall' in the eighties and all good reasons; equality, respect, ability to set aside differences to drive towards the good for all... And he was definitely an inspiration to our wee corner of the world with our own peace process. Such a wise, wise, man. RIP Madiba.
He was the perfect front man for the ANC and they have had image problems ever since he retired. His Myth will be recorded in history alongside other great peace makers such as Gandhi and Arafat. He supported openly any dictator that was anti-white. Yet the millions of victims these Peace Makers created and continue to create will never have a voice. His good friend Mugabe is at least honest in his declarations that he hates whites, and is in it for the money and power.
It only seems like yesterday when I bought the song "Free Nelson Mandela" I am so glad he lived as long as he did! He had a lot of catching up to do when he was released! A great Man, I doubt we will see his like again.
A true human of wisdom, compassion, generosity and indefatigable endurance in the face of nihilism who always gave much more of himself than he ever took - Such sacrifice and commitment, too many seem to take for granite these days. I for one am very grateful to have grown up around such an influence from a real person, who actually made me proud to be a human-being for once.
Rest in Peace Mr. Mandela. You will always be remembered, honored and cherished as a great leader, a global icon, a true fighter for justice, and a great role model that leaders of the world should follow. Your strength, bravery, and most importantly, your integrity and credibility should set the example for leaders of other nations to follow in your footsteps. May God Bless your Soul. Amen
in one of the pics, Mandela is shown puffing on a cigarette, proof positive that you can smoke and still live to be 95, mmmmmm, interesting.. RIP Madiba.. a giant among giants..
It is quite simply staggering how many people in the media and in these comments have no idea what Nelson Mandela actually did in his life. Or they do and are dishonest. They just accept "well the result was good therefore he is a world super saint" Spend 10 minutes of your time to find out the not so tasteful things. I make no comment on whether the end justified the means. But don't embarrass yourselves without checking what those "means" were and claiming his "holiness"...
Most of the people--politicians, royalty--posing pictures with Mandela shown above were doing so to seek spotlight and self-serving.
Cameron wanted to hang Nelson Mandela, pass it on. DM block all my posts so I'll be posting this to every article I see. Freedom of speech.
Oh dear, may red arrows going on here.... I thought he seemed like quite a nice guy but.... what do I know?
This man lived a life that all of you negative commenters will never live to see. He went from a boy born in the bush, herding cattle in nothing but slippers in one of the most desolate areas of South Africa to a man that changed the conscious of a nation and world. Many of you want to come on here and speak ill of him because he said "No" to apartheid, and said no to a rule of law that thought him a second class citizen at best. He overcame all of that, plus 27 years in prison, to become the first black south african president. And what did he do when was given this power? He appealed for people to leave the past in the past and start to forgive. To the negative comments on here, you will die without having achieved one contribution that even compares as a grain of sand to what this man has done.
The world has lost a great man. Living life without bitterness and fear despite injustice and brutality is his great example to mankind. RIP Madiba.
Do people even know who Nelson Mandela was or what he did? Don't get me wrong South Africa had problems with racial equality.. But this man was in a terrorist group which was given bombing training from such groups as the Ira and was imprisoned for such reasons.. And even publicly supported gadaffi!! His group continuously rapped woman and killed people by putting tyres around their neck and setting them on fire all in the name of social reform... Oh by the way South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world today.. Great lasting legacy, people never learn anything themselves but just believe what the bbc tell them
RIP Mandela the great one. If our current world leaders who follow just a iota of his beliefs our world would be a far better place.
It's men like Nelson Mandela that make you realize how very few really Great men we have had among us.
We all going through same path but you left us helpless. Mandela the Peace maker you have gone but not forgotten, You are always be world hero. Rest In Peace MADIBA!.
All the negative commentators and those red arrowing the love being expressed for this great man - you will in no way diminish the respect, love, grief and sadness that the majority of the world - people from all backgrounds, races, religions and nations - feel for this inspirational icon who will be remembered forever and ever unlike yourselves he will NEVER be forgotten and history will remember him as a brave man who fought for his people with dignity and honour at a time when they were brutalised, marginalised and oppressed in their own land. Rest In Power, Love and Glory Madiba.
Yup, South Africa is doing great. All the resources are there, but they are unable to even take care of themselves. I'll leave it at that.
As a South African I can say whole heartedly that this man's spirit reached out and caressed our nation. When I was 5 years old my dad was allowed to vote for the first time and he took me to the voting station with him. He told me to remember that day forever because it was history in the making, I clearly remember the excitement in the atmosphere the dancing and singing. I wasn't sure who this "madiba" was but I knew he was important. I was lucky to have witnessed that and I am greatly saddened by his death. It isn't a shame that such a great man has died but it will be a shame if we allow his legacy to die with him. RIP TATA.
For all those people commenting that he was a terrorist responsible for murders and bombings .I would just like to point out that people are only terrorists until they win,then they become great patriots and a peace loving inspiration to their country.Just look at Eamon de Valera for example,Leader of the IRA commissioned Micheal Collins to bomb and kill and now remembered as a great Irish statesmen.
You know, he was a great man. He ultimately rejected violence, fought for rights for his disenfranchised people, survived an unjust imprisonment, and united his country. He forgave those who imprisoned him and he did not seek retribution when he became president of his country. I am not sure how South Africa will end up in the long run, but while he was president, the country had its best hope for a positive future.
Right after a bit of digging, I have found out that he was not sent to jail for the murder of anyone. Those who are suggesting he was need to look into it a bit more. He was sent to jail for trying to over through the government. During his 27 years in jail, the group he helped to set up MK did become a terrorist group and did kill many people. However, the whole thing start peacefully, and end peacefully when Mandela came out of jail and said everyone should get along. He did not divide a country, SA is not divide, on this issue, the rest of us are. Time people look at the facts, read his speeches and see what he has done once leaving jail, and put the whole thing into context. He is no terrorist, but you can argue the MK was.
His powerful energy lives on, he is now one with nature, maybe reincarnated into a beautiful bird or lion.
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noname, New York, United States, 2 hours ago
Men are born, men die, none are saints.