R.I.P. Nelson Mandela

Last night, we heard the sad news about the passing of Nelson Mandela, who dies at the age of 95. He was the first black President in South Africa and fought to end apartheid. He went to prison for 27 years. I was deeply saddened by the news. He had been ill for a long time long. The world is currently in mourning. We have lost a great man. All flags around the world were flying half mask today, including London. There was a memorial outside the South African Embassy and a long queue of people stood the whole day to pay their respect.

South African Embassy in London 

Parliament Square

What has Nelson Mandela done for me?

Well, he fought so that I could be free, so that I would not be discriminated because of my race. He ended apartheid in South Africa. I was fortunate not to have suffered directly from apartheid as I was only 14 years old when Mandela became President. While I was at Primary School, I remember that in 1992 when they "allowed" children of colour into the school and we became a Model C school. If it wasn't for Nelson Mandela, I am certain that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to get a good education at the University of Witwatersrand and a good job thereafter. I am sure that I would have been discriminated because of my race. The Chinese were a minority in South Africa and were classed as "non-whites" after Coloured people and Indian people.

It was my parents who suffered. They couldn't go to "white-only" schools, beaches or suburbs or use "white-only" buses or toilets. Sad to think that people were discriminated because of their colour. My husband Athol too suffered during apartheid and was told to get off a "white-only" bus and that he had to use the toilets in a different building.

Mandela could have been bitter, especially after spending 27 years in jail, but he wasn't. He was bigger than that, he embraced the entire nation. He made the Rugby World Cup in 1995 happen - Rugby which was a very Afrikaans sport. What an incredible man!

I remember in 1994, I did Chinese dancing and we performed at his Inauguration in Pretoria on 27 February 1994, what an honour and privilege to be there that day! I also go to see him at the 46664 Concert in George in 2004.

Mandela was a great leader. We need to keep his spirit and legacy alive for the sake of our dear country.

We mourn today but he will be remembered forever!

R.I.P Madiba