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Moeketsi Ntsane
1996-01-01
The Nelson Mandela Foundation
Johannesburg, South Africa
Details
- Title: Moeketsi Ntsane
- Date: 1996-01-01
- Story: 1996 The storm winds that had been blowing had suddenly calmed down as President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela approached the Madala Bos Community. It was as though nature was paying respect to the great man. Most of the Western Cape Flats areas were flooded, and as a result many people had to be relocated to community halls. The South African Red Cross Society was providing relief to victims of these floods, and the President of South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, in his capacity as patron of the society was paying a personal visit. He came out to visit the most vulnerable, those who had become victims of the floods. It was sometime in June or July 1996. Madala Bos is a small community that had settled between Makhasa and Maccassar opposite the sewerage station that was under construction at the time. The President was visiting various shack communities affected by floods. The man was so tall that his security man had to literally bend his head for him to enter the shack dwellings. At Madala Bos, he met an old lady almost his age. He acknowledged her age, “You are almost my age.” She had lived under the worst conditions of Madala Bos. I then requested to take a picture with the President. He responded, “You must first shake hands with my minister, then me.” I followed the President’s order and shook hands with the Minister of Social Development, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketsi, who responded with a wide smile. Then I shook hands with the President of South African Republic. I am quite short but in the picture I appear to be the same height as I hold hands with the President. The man behind us was a SARCS volunteer – the other man in the photo is the late Lemmy Mbadu, while the lady with the blonde hair, is Godija Abrahams, both staff members of SARCS. The President made a contribution of R10 000 to the SARCS Disaster Relief Fund Western Cape. He also challenged businesses to make donations to enhance SARCS relief work to the most vulnerable in our communities. Pick ‘n Pay, Woolworths, Petrosa, even Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane of the Anglican Church, responded to this call.
- Quote: "The man was so tall that his security man had to literally bend his head for him to enter the shack dwellings."
- Type: Photo
- Original Source: To download a photograph click here
- Collection: Moments with a Legend
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