My Moment with the Legend Nelson Mandela

Trevor Manuel recalls the moment he met Nelson Mandela in 1990:

"This photograph was taken at the then-D F Malan Airport in about May of 1990. One other person in the picture (right) is Reg September, who was then Convenor of the ANC Internal Leadership Corps for the Western Cape. He was there to welcome Madiba to the Western Cape in that capacity."

"Madiba was in Cape Town for a brief meeting with then-President F. W. de Klerk at Tuynhuys. He arrived at around lunchtime and returned to Johannesburg at around 18h00. He was accompanied by Mr Kingsley Mamabolo. My role was to act as his driver/general assistant. On this occasion, it was my first visit to Tuynhuys, an occasion made more memorable that my first visit was as a driver."

"Footnote: By this time, I had already worked with Madiba around his release; I accompanied him on his first historic international trip to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Sweden, where he met up with Oliver Tambo; and I deputised for Uncle Reg September on the internal Leadership Corps until his return from exile."

Archbishop Lawrence Henry recalls a moment with Nelson mandela in 1993:

"After Mr Nelson Mandela’s release from prison he effectively wanted to pay tribute to all who were involved in “the Struggle”. He came to the community in Athlone, and particularly to Holy Mass at St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church there to remember Coline Williams and Robert Waterwich – two young Catholics who were actively involved and who had been killed when a bomb exploded at the Athlone Magistrate’s Court."

"The photograph shows me giving Holy Communion to Madiba. I was taken totally by surprise when he presented himself before me to receive the Sacrament because by normal Catholic practice Holy Communion should only be given to Catholics and Madiba is, of course not a Catholic."

"When the photograph and the report of the event appeared in the local press I was roundly criticized and condemned by some Catholics for going against the normal Catholic practice. They were horrified to the extent that there was even a call for me to resign or to be removed as the Archbishop of Cape Town."

"The Apostolic Delegate (the Pope’s representative in the country) also approached me for an explanation, as he needed to inform the Vatican about what had happened. In my response to the Vatican I stated that were I presented on a future occasion with a similar situation I would necessarily again have to act in the same way."

"I was greatly consoled and encouraged by Cardinal Owen McCann who, as a former Archbishop of Cape Town, assured me that I had done the proper thing and that it had been done in a dignified and respectful manner. He supported me and said that he would have done likewise."

"As for Madiba, and indeed for the people in the congregation on that day, it was a day of special grace and blessing."

Lindiwe Fassie recalls the moment she met Nelson Mandela in 1993:

"It was a Sunday morning. Me and my family were all sitting in the lounge reminiscing about my mom’s funeral. We had buried her on Saturday. The next thing, my big sister Vuyiswa came running into the house telling us that there were police private cars coming to the house. We were also surprised because children were shouting, ‘Tata Tata’ outside. In an instant this bodyguard came in the house and stood there and he followed. We jumped up and down ‘cause we were not expecting such a great man would come into our house. You see, Brenda had predicted that we’ll have a black president and true to predictions Tata was our president."

"He came into the house and greeted us all by our names which was very surprising indeed. He sat us all down and told us that the tree has fallen (mom) and that we have to be very careful and not let this house go down. He gave us advice on life and whilst he was talking, I was crying. I felt honoured to have Tata Madiba sitting on my mom’s chair. To be honest I will never forget that day ever."

"After giving us all advice, he left us and people outside started ululating, ‘Tata Tata’. I feel very honoured to be writing about my favourite person in the world. Ukhula Tata Ukhokhobe Madiba ngqolomsila Yem yem Zondwa Zintshabe. Halaa Tata Halala."

Evita Bezuidenhout recall the moment meeting Nelson Mandela in 1994:

"Nelson Mandela was to address the masses at a final ANC rally in Retreat, Cape Town before the 1994 Election. in. Then a phone call to me, asking if I would bring Evita Bezuidenhout to entertain the people. My first chance to meet Madiba! Allan Boesak introduced Evita with his usual high-pitched flair. Thunderous applause, not louder than the banging of my heart. Was this also my audition for the New South Africa?"

"Evita surged onto the stage. The fact that she was wearing her traditional Voortrekker dress in the old orange, white and blue made it even more surreal. ‘They said Mr Mandela would be here and I brought him some koeksisters!’ Roars of approval. The kids just stared. When Evita was finished, I was anxious to go into the caravan and put Tannie back in the box. ‘No,’ said Alan. ‘You must stay here. Nelson Mandela wants to meet you.’ You? Me? Evita? Who? So I sat. In the front row. Acting a Nancy Reagan waiting for her Ronnie. I heard a piercing hiss. ‘Pssst! Madam!’ In the front row a cluster of township youths, balaclavas and rosettes waved, smiling. Then they threw sweets at Evita. Two little boys came up from the back of the stage. Trevor Manuel’s kids."

"‘Are you a man or a woman?’ one asked seriously. Evita smiled sweetly, ‘Ask your father.’ Then a noise like an approaching tsunami. Louder and louder from far down the field, closer and closer. He had arrived with that smile, dazzling, patient, hugging, holding, laughing, forgiving. Remembering. Then he looked up and saw me. No, he saw her. Nelson Mandela opened his arms and came towards Mrs Bezuidenhout with a delighted laugh. ‘Evita! Evita! You look so beautiful!"

Farida Omar recalls the moment she met Nelson Mandela in 1994:

"In 1994 I participated in a women’s march to Parliament in order to hand over a memorandum to President Mandela. He came out and greeted everybody. I was pushing someone in a wheelchair, and when the President got to me he kissed my hand. I felt like I was going to die! I was so excited."

“The circumstances were very different to those in which I first met Mr Mandela, in. I brought his grandson, Mandla Mandela, for a visit to prison. I remember him as a tall 12-year-old boy who closely resembled his grandfather. The evening before the visit I prepared some samoosas and sandwiches for Mandla to take to his grandfather, in the hope that the guards would permit Madiba to eat them. The next morning, when the two of us got to the prison, the guard, unaware that Mandla was the only one with permission to see Mr Mandela, let us both in.

“In the old days I had a fruit and vegetable stall at the Salt River market, and every time Dullah (my husband, and Mr Mandela’s lawyer) went to visit Mr Mandela I would give him a bag of fruit to hand out to whoever he came into contact with. But he always returned with the fruit, the guards having searched his bag. In 1979 Dullah had a heart attack. In his absence, another lawyer went to Robben Island. The day before the visit, he visited my stall to enquire about Dullah. I gave him a bag of fruit. The following day he returned with a personal thank you from Mr Mandela; he had managed to get the fruit into the prison without being searched. Mr Mandela said it was the first time in 19 years that he’d seen a banana!"

"Mrs Omar is the widow of Dullah Omar, who was appointed by Mr Mandela as Minister of Justice in South Africa’s first democratically elected government."

Walther (Wally) Rhoode recalls a moment with Nelson Mandela in 1995:

"What all protectors or bodyguards dread most is if the protection operational plan is not according to the script. And working with Madiba this always seemed to be the case. You could brief him on the operational plan and sometimes it would go according to script. But then there were the outside influences, like large crowds and receiving line politicians, who would brief him without informing the protection detail."

"During the early days when Madiba visited Cape Town, the ANC Western Cape leadership would mobilise ANC supporters to be at the airport, and given the euphoria surrounding his visits it made planning and securing him difficult."

"The hangar where the aircraft landed was within a secure area of Cape Town International Airport, and part of the planning was to secure an area for television camera operators and photographers. But this time the ANC leadership brought supporters with them, and after briefing them he decided to go and greet the crowds."

"When tasked with planning, it is important to have information of the receiving line. But while the journalists and leaders were known to us, the crowd was a different issue. You did not know who was friendly or who may have had ulterior motives."

"Basically, the adrenalin was high, anxiety levels were high, and radio communication was poor. Crowds such as the one in the really tested your training and provided new lessons for the next assignment. Personally, I was worried that nothing would happen to him as I was responsible for the planning and I knew the country would blame us should anything happen to him."

Linda McGregor recalls the moment she met Nelson Mandela in 1995:

"Presidential smooch. That was the title of the photo of me hugging and kissing the then President Mr Nelson Mandela as it appeared on page 3 of the Cape Times on 3rd May 1995. I still get goosebumps as I recall that day. MyMoment with a Legend. What a thrill."

"Workers Day 1995. President Mandela was to address the rally at the Athlone stadium. My disappointment at not being able to attend the rally due to work constraints soon turned to absolute excitement as I learned that he would be stopping at the Hanover Park Community Health Care Centre where I together with two other nurses and a doctor who was on duty, before going to the stadium."

"Saturday morning 1st May. Hanover Park came out in their numbers to welcome President Mandela to their troubled, dusty township. The street leading to the Health Care Centre was lined with people bearing placards with messages of welcome and well wishes. All staff reported for duty where normally only emergency personnel was required to staff the trauma unit. The excitement was palpable."

"President Mandela arrives to loud cheers and in true Madiba style he spends a few minutes greeting the community. He is then escorted into the education centre where he addresses us. (The staff of Hanover Park CHC). I (Linda McGregor) was chosen to pose a question about the high rate of gangsterism in our community. Q and A time arrives. I boldly raise my hand, stand up, take a deep breath and start shaking. My mouth completely dry and to my disdain, start giggling. I could not utter a single word. The great man rescued me from further embarrassment by stepping in and answering the question as if nothing happened."

"After the vote of thanks (Icannot remember by whom) Madiba walked around the room greeting the personnel, shaking all outstretched hands. My fear was that he would not reach our end as his security kept telling him to wrap up."

"To this day I cannot recall how I, who was standing in the second row, managed to do what I did. The photo confirms it. I had my arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips, hence the newspaper caption ‘Presidential smooch.”

"That was my moment with a legend. The emotion I felt and shared with my colleagues at Hanover Park CHC was, and is, indescribable to this day –11 years later."

"Thank you Madiba."

Former Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Assembly Leon Wessels recalls a moment he shared with Nelson Mandela in 1996:

"This is 12h20 on 8 May 1996. The Constitutional Assembly (CA) has just concluded its official business (12h08) – after two years of constitutional negotiation – by agreeing to the final Constitution. We are walking from parliament to President Mandela’s office in Tuynhuys for a small celebration before joining the members of the Constitutional Assembly for a photo opportunity and public festivities."

"In the photograph, Madiba and FW de Klerk are flanked by their security men. Cyril Ramaphosa, chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly, is nearby but not in the picture. I accompany these two Nobel Peace Prize winners because I am the Deputy Chair of the Constitutional Assembly."

"Two years have lapsed since Madiba’s election as head of state on 9 May 1994. The constitutional negotiations have yielded – within the required time period – the desired result; South Africa now has its final constitution, drafted by democratically elected members of the CA."

"There is much banter between Mandela and De Klerk about their previous public spats; and how the proceedings this day went smoothly without any wrangles."

"Fulfilling the role of Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Assembly is the highlight of my political career. Simply being in the presence of two men honoured by the Nobel Peace Prize committee, and being valued by someone revered by the world, is an unforgettable moment."

"Madiba makes me feel special – as if my presiding over the proceedings was the reason why the CA had completed its work in good time, “Leon, your performance today was a kragtoer (tour de force). Thank you very much! Since I first met you in Oslo, (August 1990) you have never disappointed me.”

"I cannot imagine the negotiating process and South Africa’s transition to democracy without him. What a giant! If I had not rubbed shoulders with this legend, I would have been poorer."

Geraldine Fraser Moleketi recalls the moment she met Nelson Mnadela in 1996:

"This particular photograph captures a personal assessment visit by President Nelson Mandela (Tata Madiba, as he is affectionately known), President of the Republic of South Africa at the time, on 1 December 1996 to disaster stricken areas in South Cape. I was Minister for Welfare and Population Development at the time."

"This formed part of the formal assessment, by government, of the extent of damage in which, “at least two people died after heavy rains fell in the districts of Uniondale, Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp, Ladismith and George. Both the Olifants and Kammanassie rivers burst their banks leaving a trail of devastation. About 350 households were affected and severe damage caused to personal effects and houses. Approximately 500 farmers suffered loss in terms of infrastructure, livestock and cash crops which also left many seasonal workers unemployed. Agricultural damage amounted to about R73 million. Hundreds of farm workers were also affected in the areas, which in total employ about 140 000 people in the agricultural sector. Most of them suffered loss of income or other damage due to the floods. Farm workers will be given financial assistance on an ex-gratia basis for damage or loss.” (Statement issued by the Ministry of Welfare and Population Development)."

"Tata Madiba was determined to reach all affected areas, on the Sunday (1 December 1996), as he wanted to hear directly from the communities involved whether farm workers or farmers. It was humbling to see this outreach and witness his concern about the immediate and direct impact of this disaster on the people and communities in the affected areas. He was also greatly concerned about the impact on their livelihoods in the medium and longer term."

"We moved from community to community speaking with farm workers and farmers alike listening to them as they described the events that they experienced, sharing their pain, explaining their losses (whether human, property or livestock) and showing us the actual physical destruction. They vividly described the implications for them personally and, in instances, for the broader communities involved."

"I was yet again struck by the involvement and engagement of the President Tata Madiba in the detail as so graphically captured in this photograph. (I say, “yet again” as I had the rare privilege of accompanying him to various communities across the country in the course of my work."

"On that Sunday it crossed my mind that he was as formidable as the towering sandstone cliffs of the Swartberg mountain range, in the Meiringspoort area, one of the areas that entered by helicopter, on that Sunday, to reach communities that were cut off by the devastating floods."

"As awesome as those sandstone cliffs was the humanity of a remarkable leader and I was in awe by his deep personal concern and depth of engagement with members of these communities, irrespective of their status in society. This occasion, as did other such, further strengthened my commitment to serve, with compassion and resolve."

Former politician Marius Fransman recalls the moment he met Nelson Mandela in 1996:

"If a picture tells a thousand words, then a moment is hardly adequate to capture a legend, a legion and indeed a lion of the struggle of the oppressed people’s of the world. Perhaps it is a sign of the statuesque greatness of the man that he made the simplest of acts significant and made the most insignificant amongst us feel relevant and important. So it was on a September morning in 1996 that a simple question will forever remind me of my moment with a legend."

"Vredendal is a typical South African little rural town on the West Coast of the Western Cape with a tiny population. It had been a bastion of right-wing Afrikaner conservatism under apartheid but over time had become a vestige of Madiba’s political home, the African National Congress (ANC). This was largely as a result of the support of the rural coloured working class and the groundbreaking work that young cadres such as myself were doing amongst farm workers and other critical sectors."

"Madiba had been awarded the Freedom of Vredendal a year or so earlier and I had played no significant part in bestowing that accolade. He undoubtedly was a worthy recipient and perhaps the bestower was more honoured by the distinction than the recipient. The details of the process, the ream of administrative acts, the pile of logistics and of course the painstaking protocol that such a process would have entailed – all of this is now beyond my recollection, including my own role in the process."

"Not so for Madiba. Nearly two years removed from the event, and geographically far from the place; when any insignificant detail could hardly have been expected to be recalled, he looked me straight into the eye and in an instant placed me – “How is Vredendal?” he asked."

Alec Erwin recalls a pivotal moment with nelson Mandela in 1996:

"Seeing this photograph engenders a great sense of privilege at having been part of the democratisation of my land, South Africa. The scene is one of the annual Cabinet photographs which were always moments for teasing and joke-making. I think we were all a little self-conscious and overwhelmed at the notion that we were a Cabinet. As I recall, this was the preparation for a photo of the Deputy Ministers. Judging by the people it seems that I must have recently become a Minister."

"I will always treasure the honour of being in Mandela’s Cabinet. He was a massively calming presence as his inner strength pervaded any meeting and kept us younger members imbued with a sense of the dignity of the occasion. Mbeki’s massive grasp of virtually every portfolio and Mandela’s sense of wanting clear and practical proposals made meetings an invigorating and challenging experience. What I truly grew to love about my interactions with Mandela were the mix of strength of purpose with a mischievous sense of fun and gaiety. I cannot recall what he must have called me over for but I do know that when he did, he expected common sense and clarity – Mandela never gave much slack on those matters."

"Looking at the people sitting and standing with him brings back a feeling of the profound sense of pride we had in having achieved an historic objective for our people. The sense of comradeship and intellectual camaraderie was inspiring. What Mandela always conveyed was a sense of humbleness about this great task – it was a task of the people and we were their bearers. It was a powerful lesson. We need to all learn it again as we honour him."

Donny Thebus recalls the moment he met Nelson Mandela in 1996:

"If memory serves me correctly this photograph was taken during the run-up to the first South African Local Government Election in 1996 in Cape Town. To provide a narrative of the photograph after 15 years would appear to be difficult for some, especially for a close protector, as logic would dictate that one’s focus was on the perceived threat and ri