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South Africans have started marking the first anniversary of the death of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela who died last year at the age of 95.Official ceremonies to mark the passing on of the former South African leader will include an interfaith prayer service early yesterday, followed by a wreath-laying commemoration by veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle, as well as a cricket match.
Bells, hooters, and traditional horns called vuvuzelas, will be sounded for three minutes and seven seconds, followed by three minutes of silence, combined to equal a six-minute and seven-second ceremony designed to symbolise Mandela’s 67 years of public service.
Many other events are due to take place over the weekend and beyond, including widespread artistic performances, as a way of remembering and celebrating the former president who led the country out of the apartheid era after enduring 27 years in prison.
Fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu called on South Africans to emulate Mandela’s example in a statement to mark the anniversary.
“Our obligation to Madiba is to continue to build the society he envisaged, to follow his example,” Tutu said, referring to Mandela by his clan name.
“A society founded on human rights, in which all can share in the rich bounty God bestowed on our country. In which all can live in dignity, together. A society of better tomorrows for all.”
Yesterday’s wreath-laying ceremony in Pretoria will start events to mark one year since Mandela passed away after a long illness. His death was met with a worldwide outpouring of grief.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the three-minute moment of silence at 0800 GMT, followed by a friendly cricket match, dubbed the Mandela Legacy Cup, between South Africa’s national rugby and cricket teams at 1300GMT.
Over the weekend, artists and performers will hold centre stage at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which has launched an exhibition in honour of the life and work of its namesake.
Motorcyclists across the country have also been called on to dedicate their traditional Sunday morning rides to the anti-apartheid hero.
Madiba set South Africa on a course towards reconciliation after he emerged unbowed from nearly three decades in prison in 1990 and became the country’s first president to be elected by universal suffrage in 1994.
His one-time jailer FW de Klerk, who served as the country’s State President and who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993 for his part in ending apartheid, called on South Africans to honour his legacy.
“Although Nelson Mandela is no longer physically with us his legacy remains to guide us,” he said in a statement marking the anniversary.
Meanwhile, Mandela would have been disappointed by the ongoing corruption in the country, veteran human rights lawyer George Bizos said yesterday.
“Madiba would be disappointed by the corruption. I’m happy that its exposure is growing by the day,” he said at a commemoration of Mandela’s death.
Mandela had respect for the courts and the law.
Bizos said Mandela had apologised on national television after an opposition party took him to the Constitutional Court for exceeding his constitutional powers.
“The court ruled against Mandela, and he immediately went on television and said he was disappointed that he made a mistake regarding his powers as a president, and he apologised to the nation.”
Bizos recalled a phone call from now Acting President Cyril Ramaphosa in 1990, following the unbanning of political parties.
Ramaphosa told Bizos that he and other legal minds had been selected to help draft the country’s post-apartheid Constitution.
Ramaphosa was the ANC secretary general at the time.
“I want to remind him of that day, that the ANC decided to appoint myself, Arthur Chaskalson, and others to help draft the Constitution.”
He said he jokingly asked Ramaphosa if he had to be a card carrying member of the ANC to do the work.
“He said ‘You don’t have to be an ANC member . . . we can do away with your R12 fee’,” Bizos said to laughter, from among others, Ramaphosa.
Mandela had thanked the team for drafting the Constitution.
“He came to our offices in Johannesburg CBD and thanked us for the efforts we made, and added that he was thankful that we put together a Constitution that’s good for SA as a whole, and not only for the organisation,” Bizos said. – Sapa
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter