Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa who led the country to democracy, passed away in his home in Johannesburg today.
The iconic figure had been receiving intense home-based medical care for a lung infection after being hospitalised for three months on June 8th, 2013.
The current South African President, Jacob Zuma confirmed the news by saying, “He is now resting. He is now at peace.” He continued, “Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father.”
“What made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human,” he added. “We saw in him what we seek in ourselves.”
Jacob Zuma also mentioned that Mandela would receive a full state funeral, and flags would be flown at half-mast.
Even though Nelson Rolihlahla “Madiba” Mandela was in power for only five years, he was a figure of massive moral influence worldwide. He was also a symbol of revolution, resistance and triumph over racial segregation.
He was one of the greatest leaders of modern times and inspired all of us who won the Nobel Peace Prize and raised millions for humanitarian causes. With the memory of Nelson Mandela, his determination still lives in our hearts as in his jailhouse memoirs. Mandela spent 27 years in a Spartan cell on Robben Island with only one visitor a year and one letter every six months, yet he still had faith in human nature.
Timeline of Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013):
1918: Born in the Eastern Cape
1943: Joined African National Congress
1956: Charged with high treason, but charges dropped after a four-year trial
1962: Arrested, convicted of incitement and leaving country without a passport, sentenced to five years in prison
1964: Charged with sabotage, sentenced to life
1990: Freed from prison
1993: Wins Nobel Peace Prize
1994: Elected as the first black president
1999: Steps down as leader
2001: Diagnosed with prostate cancer
2004: Retires from public life
2005: Announces his son has died of an HIV/Aids-related illness
2007: Launches international group of elder statesmen to tackle climate change, HIV/AIDS, poverty and other global problems
2008: U.S. lawmakers erase references to Mandela as a terrorist from national database
2013: Hospitalised and died peacefully at home
With such determination in the faith of human nature from Nelson Mandela, his spirit still lives in our hearts and will be remembered through his inspiring quotes.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
“The legacy of oppression weighs heavily on women. As long as women are bound by poverty and as long as they are looked down upon, human rights will lack substance. As long as outmoded ways of thinking prevent women from making a meaningful contribution to society, progress will be slow. As long as the nation refuses to acknowledge the equal role of more than half of itself, it is doomed to failure.”
US President Barack Obama once said that his first political action was an anti-apartheid protest inspired by Mandela, who “achieved more than could be expected of any man.” He added, “I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example Nelson Mandela set.”
As the world mourns the death of the inspiring public figure, famous celebrities around the world have posted tweets, Instagram pictures, as well as Facebook statuses to remember this legacy Madiba.
Barack Obama tweeted:
Channing Tatum tweeted:
Chloé Grace Moretz tweeted:
Larry King tweeted:
Queen Latifah tweeted:
Tyra Banks tweeted:
Beyoncé posted on Instagram:
Jessie J posted on Instagram:
Rihanna posted on Instagram:
Jamie Foxx posted on Facebook:
Kelly Rowland posted on Facebook:
Don’t miss The Making of Mandela, a documentary that commemorates the life of the legendary leader himself. The Making of Mandela premiers on Sunday, December 8, 10pm on Discovery Channel (ASTRO 551).
