Various members of the community representing faith based organisations, private sector and the Public Service came out in numbers to pray for the former President of our country, Nelson Mandela. The prayer service was called to give thanks to the life of the former icon and also to pray that the Almighty should keep him in the palm of His Hand. Ministers present from different denominations also prayed for Mandela’s family and relatives and for unity of the nation.

The Premier of the Northern Cape, Ms Sylvia Lucas, in outlining the purpose of the prayer session stated that, “We need to join with the rest of the world to pray for Madiba. He challenged us to become a united nation and described as the rainbow nation. He never made it about himself but always cared for the wellbeing of the people. Madiba would like to see all of us Black and White to be united, let us make sure that his legacy lives on”.

The choir of the day Manifest Presence joined in appropriate song for the well-loved icon and former leader and had everyone joining in praise.

An old-time friend and colleague of former President Nelson Mandela and now Chairperson of the Veterans League, Ms Evelyn Lubidla shared stories of her working relationship with Mandela and the type of person that he was to her. She spoke of kindness of the world leader who she described as a hero who gave unreservedly of himself to other. She told those in attendance that, “Mandela’s life is a model not just for our time but all time. Mandela sees the good in others because it is in his nature and in his interest, in his Inaugural address as the first democratic Head of State, Mandela vowed that out of experience of an extraordinary human disaster, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud.  He hinted at state re-engineering radically different to that pursued by the apartheid government when he proclaimed that “we enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignify – a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.”

From the attendees it was evident that though many did not have a personal encounter with him, he was without a doubt the person that made an enormous impact in their lives and that his legacy and what he stood for should continue to unite us as South Africans.

Released on behalf of the Northern Cape Provincial Government

Contact persons:
Bronwyn Thomas-Abrahams
Mobile: 083 447 6586