"When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity" - Nelson Mandela 1918-2013.
Former president Nelson Mandela, surrounded by his family, died peacefully at his home in Johannesburg last night, President Jacob Zuma said.
“Although we knew that this day would come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss,” Zuma said addressing the nation on television.
“His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world.”
In Zuma's address to the nation, he said: "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 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, 6 December, 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."
The man who changed history is no more -
And we will cherish him forever – for his dignity, his leadership, his love for people of all colours and most of all because he forgave us all.
Mandela's life: a short summary -
• Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (Xhosa pronunciation: born 18 July 1918) was a South African politician who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, the first ever president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election.
• Before being elected President, Mandela was a militant anti-apartheid activist, and the leader and co-founder of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC).
• In 1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Mandela went on to serve 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island.
• Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela led his party in the negotiations that led to the establishment of democracy in 1994.
• As President, he frequently gave priority to reconciliation, while introducing policies aimed at combating poverty and inequality in South Africa.
• In South Africa, Mandela is often known as Madiba, his Xhosa clan name; or as tata (Xhosa: father).
• Mandela has received more than 250 awards over four decades, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize.
• Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (Xhosa pronunciation: born 18 July 1918) was a South African politician who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, the first ever president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election.
• Before being elected President, Mandela was a militant anti-apartheid activist, and the leader and co-founder of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC).
• In 1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Mandela went on to serve 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island.
• Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela led his party in the negotiations that led to the establishment of democracy in 1994.
• As President, he frequently gave priority to reconciliation, while introducing policies aimed at combating poverty and inequality in South Africa.
• In South Africa, Mandela is often known as Madiba, his Xhosa clan name; or as tata (Xhosa: father).
• Mandela has received more than 250 awards over four decades, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize.
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