Tributes to South Africa’s first black President Nelson Mandela have poured in from world leaders.
US President Barack Obama said: “He achieved more than could be expected of any man. Today, he has gone home. And we have lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth. He no longer belongs to us – he belongs to the ages.
“Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa – and moved all of us.
“His journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings - and countries - can change for the better.”
UK Prime Minister David Cameron said: “A great light has gone out in the world. Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time; a legend in life and now in death – a true global hero.
“Across the country he loved they will be mourning a man who was the embodiment of grace.
“Meeting him was one of the great honours of my life. My heart goes out to his family and to all in South Africa and around the world whose lives were changed through his courage.”
In Rome, Pope Francis paid tribute to Mr Mandela’s struggle to forge a just South Africa yesterday, praising the anti-apartheid hero’s commitment to non-violence, reconciliation and truth.
“I pray that the late President’s example will inspire generations of South Africans to put justice and the common good at the forefront of their political aspirations,” Francis said in a telegram to South African President Jacob Zuma.
The pontiff praised “the steadfast commitment shown by Nelson Mandela in promoting the human dignity of all the nation’s citizens and in forging a new South Africa built on the firm foundations of non-violence, reconciliation and truth”.
South Africa’s last white President, F.W. de Klerk, said on Thursday: “He was a great unifier and a very, very special man in this regard beyond everything else he did.
“This emphasis on reconciliation was his biggest legacy.”
De Klerk, 77, a white Afrikaner who released Mandela from prison in 1990 and then negotiated the end of apartheid, said Mandela was a humane man who was able to understand and soothe the fears of South Africa’s white minority in the transition to democracy.
The United Nations Security Council interrupted a meeting on the
tribunals for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda on Thursday night and stood for a minute in silent tribute to Mr Mandela.
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said he was “a giant for justice” whose “selfless struggle for human dignity, equality and freedom” inspired many people around the world.
“No-one did more in our time to advance the values and aspirations of the United Nations,” he said.
“Nelson Mandela showed what is possible for our world, and within each one of us, if we believe a dream and work together for justice and humanity.
“Let us continue each day to be inspired by Nelson Mandela’s lifelong example to keep working for a better and more just world.”
American civil rights leader Rev Jesse Jackson said Mr Mandela’s “imprint” would be “everlasting”.
“My heart weighs heavy, the imp-rint he left on our world is everlasting.”
He added: “Nelson Mandela was a transformational figure; to say he was a ‘historical figure’ would not give him his full due.
“Nelson Mandela was a giant of immense and unwavering intellect, courage and moral authority. He chose reconciliation over retaliation. He changed the course of history.”
Former UK prime minister Tony Blair said the political leader was a “great man” who had made racism “not just immoral but stupid”.
“He was a unique political figure at a unique moment in history,” he said.
In a statement released through NBC News, former US President George Bush said: “President Mandela was one of the great forces for freedom and equality of our time.
“He bore his burdens with dignity and grace, and our world is better off because of his example.
“This good man will be missed, but his contributions will live on forever.”
Daughter told of death during royal premiere of film about his life
Nelson Mandela’s daughter learnt of her father’s death while watching the royal premiere of a film chronicling his incredible life.
Zindzi Mandela took her seat alongside royalty, celebrities and fans of the pioneering former South African President to watch the film in London’s Leicester Square.
But in a macabre twist of fate, it was during the screening that she was informed her 95-year-old father had died peacefully at home.
Screams rang out in the auditorium as the news was broken to her, although fellow audience members were not informed of the death until after the film.
Speaking before the screening of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Ms Mandela said her father was doing well, when asked about his health.
She said: “My father is fine. He’s 95 years old and he is pretty frail. We are hoping to see more of him.”
Jazelle Anderson, 22, who was in the cinema, said that, when the film finished and the news was broken to them, “everyone was completely shocked, completely shocked.
“There was a lot of crying.”
After the film, Idris Elba, who plays Mandela, took to the stage with producer Harvey Weinstein to hold a moment’s silence to honour the great man.
The star later released a statement, which said: “What an honour it was to step into the shoes of Nelson Mandela and portray a man who defied odds, broke down barriers, and championed human rights before the eyes of the world.
“My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
The Duke of Cambridge, with Kate beside him, also gave a sombre tribute after leaving.
“It was extremely sad and tragic news,” he said. “We were just reminded of what an extraordinary and inspiring man Nelson Mandela was and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family right now.”
Mr Weinstein said: “One of the privileges of making movies is having the opportunity to immortalise those who have made a profound impact on humanity.
“We count ourselves unspeakably fortunate to have been immersed in Nelson Mandela’s story and legacy.
“It’s been an honour to have been granted such proximity to a man who will go down as one of history’s greatest freedom fighters and advocates for justice.
“I have had the privilege of spending time with President Mandela and I can say his sense of humour was as great as his optimism.
“We are deeply saddened by his loss; our hearts go out to his family and the entire South African nation.” (PA)
Five key moments
Nelson Mandela was regarded as one of the great figures of the past century for his generosity of spirit, sacrifices in the name of equality and his efforts to reconcile the races in South Africa amid the ever-present spectre of conflict.
Here are a few momentous occasions in his life, told partly through his own words:
April 20, 1964
Charged with sabotage, Mr Mandela delivered a statement during his trial in Pretoria that revealed the depth of his resolve in the fight against apartheid and his willingness to lay down his life in an effort to end white racist rule.
“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people,” he said. “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Two months later, he and seven other defendants were sentenced to life in prison.
February 11, 1990
Mr Mandela walked out of South Africa’s Victor Verster prison near Cape Town after 27 years in captivity, holding hands with his wife, Winnie. He held up his fist and smiled broadly.
His release after so long was almost inconceivable for deliriously happy supporters who erupted in cheers as hundreds of journalists pressed forward.
The world watched the electrifying occasion live on television. Because of Mr Mandela’s decades-long confinement, few people knew what he looked like or had seen a recent photograph. Mr Mandela said he was astounded by the reception.
“When I was among the crowd I raised my right fist, and there was a roar. I had not been able to do that for 27 years and it gave me a surge of strength and joy,” he wrote.
He also recalled: “As I finally walked through those gates to enter a car on the other side, I felt – even at the age of 71 – that my life was beginning anew.”
May 10, 1994
Mr Mandela became the first black President of South Africa after democratic elections, taking the oath of office at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the South African capital.
Leaders and other dignitaries from around the world attended the historic occasion, which offered many South Africans another chance to celebrate in the streets.
At the close of his inauguration speech, Mr Mandela said:
“Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world,” he said.
“Let freedom reign. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement! God bless Africa! Thank you.”
June 24, 1995
Mr Mandela strode on to the field at the Rugby World Cup final in Johannesburg, wearing South African colours and bringing the overwhelmingly white crowd of more than 60,000 to its feet. They chanted “Nelson! Nelson! Nelson!” as the President congratulated the victorious home team in a moment that symbolised racial reconciliation.
His decision to wear the Springbok emblem, left, the symbol once hated by blacks, conveyed the message that rugby, for so long shunned by the black population, was now for all South Africans.
The moment was portrayed in Invictus, a Hollywood movie directed by Clint Eastwood telling the story of South Africa’s transformation under Mandela’s leadership through the prism of sport.
July 11, 2010
A smiling Mr Mandela waved to the crowd at the Soccer City stadium at the closing ceremony of the World Cup, whose staging in South Africa allowed the country, and the continent, to shine on one of the world’s biggest stages.
He appeared frail as he was driven in a golf cart alongside his wife, Graca Machel.
Mr Mandela had kept a low profile during the month-long tournament, deciding against attending the opener on June 11 after the death of his great-granddaughter in a traffic accident following a World Cup concert.
He did not address the crowd on that emotional day in the stadium. It was his last public appearance. (AP)