Qunu: Chickens squawk and somnolent dogs laze in the village of Qunu.
A child rides a horse through the mud-brick houses, which are interspersed with more modern brick structures, the only sign of change other than the newer schools, museums and clinics that came about as the legacy of Mandela.
Helicopters and fighter pilots still roam the air on occasion, yet life for most remains the same.
The mood here in Qunu is sombre. Today, Tata Madiba will return home. “We are happy that Mandela is coming back to his family and his community. But we are sad too. Our sadness is greater than it should be because we have been told that we cannot attend the funeral tomorrow”, said Phumzile Ntsukwana.
Traditionally, the entire community would attend a Xhosa burial. But because of the stringent security measures in place to ensure the safety of high-profile guests, and limited invites, the community as a whole has been left out. “I feel excluded’, continued Nowandile. “Ordinarily, we would help prepare the food for the ceremony and that gives us purpose, helps us deal with our grief. But now we are only able to watch the ceremony on the screens, and this is not the same. I loved him, he was more than a leader, he was our father”.
“We are happy that he has been laid to rest so soon”, interjected Phumzile Ntsukwana. “But we are crying”. And with near-constant rain each day in Qunu, it seems the heavens are crying too.
— Melissa Andrews is a freelance writer based in South Africa
