Statement
by Zelda Le Grange on the Passing of Nelson Mandela
6 December 2013
My sincere condolences to Mrs
Graça Machel (Mum), Maki, Zeni, Zindzi, Josina, Malenga and the entire Mandela
family as well as everyone who feels a sense of loss this morning.
Nelson Mandela inspired people to
forgive, to reconcile, to care, to be selfless, to be tolerant, to maintain
dignity no matter what the circumstances.
I can attest to each of these
because these are the ways in which he changed my life over the past 19 years.
I am blessed and honoured by the privilege to have had the opportunity to serve
him. I often battled with the relentless pressure.
But then I looked to him who
carried himself with such grace and energy. I never left, I never could.
Nelson Mandela did not demand loyalty,
but he inspired profound and unwavering loyalty from everybody whose life he
touched.
And now, as we grieve the
departure of Madiba I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I will never
see him again.
But heroes never die.
As sad as it makes me that I will
never walk into a room again and see his generous infectious smile or hear him
say “Oh Zeldina, you are here” I have come to terms with the fact that Madiba’s
legacy is not dependent on his presence.
His legacy will not only live on
in everything that has been named after him, the books, the images, the movies.
It will live on in how we feel when we hear his name, the respect and love, the
unity he inspired in us as a country but particularly how we relate to
one-another.
Madiba will forever be present in
my life because he made me into the human being I am today. I will cherish
every smile, the pleasant but also the difficult times and especially my
barefoot moments.
Thank you for all the wonderful
opportunities you afforded me, but most of all thank you for believing in me
Khulu, making me a better person, a better South African.
Tot
weersiens Khulu!!
Will love you every day for the rest of my life. |
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