South
Africans on Friday began marking one year since the death of Nelson Mandela
with services, blasting of vuvuzelas and a cricket match to honour his enormous
legacy as an anti-apartheid icon and global beacon of hope.
An
interfaith service kicked off the day’s events in Pretoria, at the Freedom Park
building dedicated to the country’s liberation heroes.
“Twenty
years of democracy has been possible because of Mandela,” tribal chief Ron
Martin said as the sun rose over the Pretoria hills and the smell of herbs
burning in spiralled antelope horns wafted over the ceremony.
Veterans of
the anti-apartheid struggle attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the base of a
five-metre statue of a smiling Madiba, the clan name by with South Africans
affectionally call their nation’s favourite son.
“The body
gave in but Madiba’s spirit never, never changed, it was always the same until
the end,” Mandela’s widow Graca Machel said before laying a huge wreath of
white flowers with pale pink roses at the base of the statue.
“Madiba
is, in spirit, the same even today,” said Machel. “I know Madiba is smiling,
Madiba is happy because he is amongst the family he chose to build.”
Later in
the day, bells, hooters, vuvuzelas and sirens will chime, honk, blow and wail
for three minutes and seven seconds — followed by three minutes of silence: a
six-minute and seven-second dedication to Mandela’s 67 years of public service.
A long
list of other events were set to take place into the weekend and beyond
dedicated to Mandela, including motorcycle rides and performances.
South
Africans were also finding their own ways of remembering the former president
who led their country out of the dark days of apartheid after enduring 27 years
in prison.
For
example, tattoo studios in the country have reported an ever-growing demand for
Mandela-inspired ink.
Fellow
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu called on South
Africans to emulate Mandela’s example in a statement to mark the anniversary.
“Our
obligation to Madiba is to continue to build the society he envisaged, to
follow his example,” Tutu said, referring to Mandela by his clan name.
“A
society founded on human rights, in which all can share in the rich bounty God
bestowed on our country. In which all can live in dignity, together. A society
of better tomorrows for all.”
–
Motorbikes for Mandela –
The iconic
leader passed away at the age of 95 last year after a long illness.
Deputy
President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the three-minute moment of silence at 0800
GMT, followed by a friendly cricket match, dubbed the Mandela Legacy Cup,
between South Africa’s national rugby and cricket teams at 1300 GMT.
At the
weekend, artists and performers will hold centre stage at the Nelson Mandela
Foundation, which has launched an exhibition in honour of the life and work of
its namesake.
Motorcyclists
across the country have also been called on to dedicate their traditional
Sunday morning rides to the anti-apartheid hero.
A
five-kilometre (three-mile) Nelson Mandela Remembrance Walk will be held in
Pretoria on December 13, passing some of the city’s historic landmarks, including
the Union Buildings, South Africa’s seat of government.
The next
day, the city’s inaugural marathon will dedicate its last mile to Madiba.
Mandela’s
death was met with a worldwide outpouring of grief.
He had
set South Africa on a course towards reconciliation after he emerged unbowed
from nearly three decades in prison in 1990 and became the country’s first
president to be elected by universal suffrage in 1994.
His
one-time jailer FW de Klerk, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in
1993, called on South Africans to honour his legacy.
“Although
Nelson Mandela is no longer physically with us his legacy remains to guide us,”
he said in a statement marking the anniversary.
