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Madiba memorialised

JOBURG - One year after the death of Madiba, communities gathered to keep the great man's memory alive.

On 5 December last year, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela passed away, leaving the nation to mourn the loss of a visionary who spent a lifetime fighting apartheid’s injustices, and created a future we could believe in.

On the first anniversary of his death, as wreaths were laid in a formal ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Joburg communities spent a few moments paying their own tributes to the Father of the Nation.

In emulation of the unifying spirit that Madiba memorably embodied at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, crowds gathered at Bidvest Wanderers to watch the Proteas take on the Springboks in the Nelson Mandela Legacy Cup T20 match. Top players from each national team joined forces with local musicians Johnny Clegg and Prime Circle to raise a substantial donation for the Nelson Mandela Foundation in its founder’s honour.

The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Houghton invited South Africans to reflect on Madiba’s legacy through the special multimedia exhibition, In Tribute to Nelson Mandela.

Composed of messages received from around the world following Mandela’s death, the exhibition includes the gun carriage that carried his coffin, and remains on display until the end of February next year. In memory of Madiba, the centre will hold events throughout December, including an open artists’ session, a comedy evening, a remembrance walk and even a bikers Sunday breakfast run.

International arts organisation, United Cultures for Development Network, invited the public to another iconic location, with a performance of Mandela Shuffle at the Apartheid Museum. Celebrating 20 years of democracy, the show featured creative young performers from South Africa, India, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia in an interactive dance and musical production that focused on uniting diverse cultures. The show will also tour internationally.

Many of those who did not attend the formal events paid personal homage to Madiba’s memory. Many brought flowers to the Houghton home where he passed away one year ago, while the giant statue of a dancing Madiba in Sandton’s Nelson Mandela Square received floods of visitors carrying similar tributes.

As the nation faces an uncertain but hopeful future, it is with gratitude and affection that we remember the man who made the New South Africa into a reality.

Details: www.nelsonmandela.org.za

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