Iconic photographer honours Madiba
He went further and said the first time he met Madiba was during the Hector Peterson Memorial Stone unveiling in 1991.
BUSHBUCKRIDGE – Former president, Mr Nelson Mandela inspired many people both in South Africa and internationally.
Iconic photographer, Mr Sam Nzima, who took what became the iconic image of Hector Peterson during the Soweto Uprising in 1976, shared his experience he had with Mandela. Speaking to Mpumalanga News during an exclusive interview, he said that Mandela is a very powerful man in the world and there would be no other like him.
”Madiba was like Jesus. He came to set us free from the oppression of the apartheid government. He was our black Moses as he stood for trials and tribulations and said: “I will rather die for my people and spent 27 years on Robben Island. He was crucified, that is why I said he is like Jesus,“ said Nzima.
He went further and said the first time he met Madiba was during the Hector Peterson Memorial Stone unveiling in 1991. He thought is was a dream and when he shook his hand, he felt like he was in heaven. ”When he touched my hand, I thought I was in heaven because it was my first time to meet him. And as time went on, I met him on several occasions. During the ANC conference that was held in Durban after he was released from prison and again at the Hector Peterson memorial stone in Orlando West,“ he explained.
Mandela is widely referred to by all and sundry as the “father of the nation“ as he managed to unite South Africa after the whole saga of the apartheid government. He called upon the people of this country to forgive and forget and entrenched reconcilaition in the minds and hearts of the people of South Africa and the world over.
”I learnt forgiveness from him because after he was released, he went further and embraced those people who put him behind bars, as a sign of forgiveness. In short, I learnt that if a person wronged you, forgive and bring about changes in the country,“ explained Nzima.
Some of the veterans dedicated themselves to follow in Madiba’s footsteps by doing something for their communities. Nzima is currently busy assisting with developmental projects at Jongilanga Traditional Authority and his future plans include opening a photographic gallery and school for journalism to educate the youth. ”I want to open a school for photographers and journalists. I hope to achieve my dream,“ he added.
Nzima concluded by saying: “If he dies, we will all miss him so much. Mandela deserves to be in a page in the Holy Bible, but unfortunately we don’t have a way to do that, but he must definitely be in our history books.”
