Pretoria – Nelson Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, says knowing that Madiba is in good company and happy amongst his own has sustained her along this year.
“Madiba is happy because he is amongst the family he chose. He is with Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Lillian Ngoyi, Joe Slovo, Ruth First, Yusuf Dadoo and many of his brothers and sisters who have been part of his journey all along his adult life. These are the people by choice he made his family,” said Machel on Friday.
Paying tribute to the late former President during a wreath laying ceremony at the Union Buildings, Machel said that on the day of Madiba’s passing, she was not able to think.
“I was numb but now looking back I can imagine him tall and proud walking and all of them rising to receive him, beaming his contagious smile, embracing each one of them and feeling -- yes that’s the time he has to unite with them.”
Today marks the first year since Mandela died.
Machel said she will be eternally grateful that Mandela chose her to be the shoulder to lean on in the sunset of his life.
“My singular privilege was to be the shoulder he would lean on in the sunset of his life. We looked into each other’s eye with love and joy. We walked hand in hand all along our lives together. We supported each other, we gave energy to each other to nourish our hearts and our minds to dedicate ourselves to the causes we have chosen,” Machel reminisced.
She also thanked South Africans for their deep love towards the Mandela family.
“In our small way, each one of us in his or her way, we are trying to find the specific manner in which we can honour our father, our grandfather and our great grandfather.”
She emphasised that Madiba’s legacy is huge and covers everybody.
“There’s no one single person, one single institution, one single country even, which can claim to be the custodian of his legacy. His legacy is in the goodness and dedication to serve others, which exists in every single human being alive today and those who are going to come and who would claim to be identified with the values he embodies.
“Madiba gave us the gift of acceptance of one another. We have to learn to accept one another as part of the big body which is the nation. We still have a long way to overcome. It’s in your hands to take what is your stake to close the divisions which are still within us,” Machel said.
Struggle veteran Dr Ahmed Kathrada, who met Mandela in 1946, said Mandela would be remembered for his humanity, courage and friendship.
“To me, he was an elder brother and I miss him not only as a political leader but I miss him as an elder brother,” said an emotional Kathrada.
During the wreath laying ceremony, Machel and the Mandela family were the first to lay a wreath next to the Mandela statue followed by Mandla Mandela and veterans.
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula laid a wreath on behalf of government. – SAnews.gov.za
