CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Some remembered his kindnesses; others reminisced about his charity.
And at a special session of Parliament today, dedicated to paying tribute to the country’s first democratically elected president, all praised Nelson Mandela for his sacrifice, wisdom and humility.
“In a modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint,” said Kgalema Motlanthe, South Africa’s deputy president. He said that it’s important that the Mandela experience does not “fizzle out,” but “rather become the turning point for social change.”
Public capacity was reached before the ceremonies began. In one overflow room, people danced and sang songs from the struggle against apartheid.
Many wore somber Western-style suits or formal African dress. Yellow T-shirts from the African National Congress (ANC), Mandela’s party, were also popular.
A large number of women covered their heads with hats or scarves, representing traditions for both married Xhosa women and Western mourning customs.
“The icon of the world has gone to join his ancestors,” said Thandi Modise, premier of the North West Province, which was met with wide applause.
Numerous prominent Americans, including Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jr., and Coretta Scott King were quoted by the leaders of South Africa’s government.
In addition to the large
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