Great send-off did Winnie proud

There will be plenty of time within the next few days to think about the political impact of the state funeral of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela … and about those who saw it as an opportunity to score points over their opponents, or to burnish their own images.

There was plenty of that going on … and plenty of the sort of adulation that Winnie was never accorded when she was alive.

That, too, is a discussion for another time.

Whatever your views of Winnie or of the politicking around her death, the funeral ceremonies were conducted with respect and dignity and brought the appropriate gravitas to the occasion.

The fact that everything on Saturday went or more or less without a hitch – despite the long day, long agenda, huge crowds and threatening weather – was a testament to the capability of all those involved.

The send-off the country gave Winnie was as good as we have seen and something to be proud of as a nation.

It is a reminder that when people pull together with common purpose (in a labour of love, you might say), great things are possible.

Congratulations to all those who made it happen.