Dubai: Nelson Mandela left this world after a long struggle that changed the lives of his people, but every South African says he will forever live on through his legacy in the rainbow nation he created.
Madiba, as Mandela was fondly known, passed away aged 95 on December 5 from a chronic lung infection.
On Sunday, he was laid to rest in his ancestral Qunu village in South Africa’s East Cape province, in a traditional funeral witnessed by 4,500 guests, including his relatives and dignitaries from around the world.
As people paid their last tributes to Mandela, more than 150 expatriates gathered in Dubai to salute the global icon at a memorial event organised by the South African Consulate in Dubai and the South African Business Council.
Together they watched the funeral on a big screen at The White Lounge. The event was also attended by Ambassador of South Africa Mpetjane Kgaogelo Lekgoro and Consul General of South Africa to Dubai Manabile Shogole.
Consul General Manabile Shogole paid rich tributes to the leader who transformed Africa’s most powerful nation.
“Madiba united a divided country and prevented it from bloodbath. He taught us to forgive and iron out our differences through meaningful discussions. He had a genuine love and concern for people,” said Shogole, speaking to Gulf News on the occasion.
Personally, Shogole added, Mandela’s ability to combine simple manners with actions that had a profound impact on people stood out.
“The manner in which he interacted with people and worked for them was unparalleled. Today, South Africa faces its problems and conflicts through values set by Mandela. He established the country on democratic foundations with equal rights for all regardless of creed or race. Mandela championed what we have today as south Africa’s foreign policy, which is to grow together with the world and not in isolation of our neighbours,” added Shogole.
As the tradition of the Mandela’s tribe goes, his body was laid to rest at noon, when the sun is at the highest and the shadow at the lowest.
“It’s a mixed feeling actually. It’s a sad moment for all South Africans as we say our final goodbye [to the man] who gave his life to make ours, but it is also a happy moment because Madiba is resting finally after a long struggle,” said Phebus Georgiades, Secretary General of South African Business Council UAE.
Recalling his meeting with the anti-apartheid legend 15 years ago, Georgiades said: “It was a real honour seeing him in person and talking to him for a couple of minutes in 1998. It was at a conference and he came across as such gentle and pleasing soul. He was a father figure for all of us, a man every South African turned to for inspiration and he will live with us for ever through his legacy.”
People of various nationalities kept pouring in throughout the day to pay their respects at The White Lounge and their thoughts and personal experiences with the man.
