Pretoria- As South Africa prepares for a life without its revered leader and former President Nelson Mandela, his family has urged the world to keep the late statesman’s dream alive.
“Let’s keep Nelson Mandela’s dream alive…that we will be true to the values and ideals that tata stood for. As the family we have no option but to be bound by these values,” Mandela family spokesman Lt. Gen Themba Matanzima said on Sunday.
“We know you the people of the world will not fail him…we have always been mindiful that we share tata with the rest of South Africa and the rest of the world …we thank the prayers and meditations extended to our family during this time," he said.
Mandela passed away peacefully at his Johannesburg home on Thursday night. He was 95.
On Sunday, South Africans held each other’s hands at places of worship as they participated in a National Day of Prayer and Reflection, an event which was observed across the country.
Matanzima thanked the religious leaders and South Africans for the their continued prayers and support to the family as demonstrated by thousands of people who gathered in various churches.
He said the family was comforted in the knowledge that the world shared the loss of Mandela. South African and the world were blessed to have been associated with the icon.
“We are filled with hope. A part of us is indeed gone forever, but the lessons remain of what is to be done and what must be achieved…we all understood that ultimately that remains an inspiration not only to us but the rest of humanity." SAnews.gov.za
