US President Barack Obama is projected on a screen as he speaks at the memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela in the Soweto township of Johannesburg. (Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times)
Soweto, South Africa:
In an outpouring of praise, memory and celebration, scores of leaders from around the world, including President Barack Obama, joined tens of thousands of South Africans in a vast rainswept soccer stadium here Tuesday to pay common tribute to Nelson Mandela, whose struggle against apartheid inspired his own country and many far beyond its borders.
Huge cheers greeted Obama as he rose to speak. "To the people of South Africa - people of every race and every walk of life - the world thanks you for sharing Nelson Mandela with us," the president said. "His struggle was your struggle. His triumph was your triumph. Your dignity and hope found expression in his life, and your freedom, your democracy is his cherished legacy.
"It is hard to eulogize any man - to capture in words not just the facts and the dates that make a life, but the essential truth of a person - their private joys and sorrows; the quiet moments and unique qualities that illuminate someone's soul," Obama said. "How much harder to do so for a giant of history, who moved a nation toward justice, and in the process moved billions around the world."
He added: "He was not a bust made of marble; he was a man of flesh and blood - a son and husband, a father and a friend. That is why we learned so much from him; that is why we can learn from him still. For nothing he achieved was inevitable. In the arc of his life, we see a man who earned his place in history through struggle and shrewdness; and persistence and faith. He tells us what's possible not just in the pages of dusty history books, but in our own lives as well."
With his address punctuated by applause, Obama used Mandela's clan name to say: "It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well; to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion, generosity and truth. He changed laws, but also hearts."
Without identifying anyone by name, Obama also seemed to criticize despots around the world. "There are too many leaders who claim solidarity with Madiba's struggle for freedom, but do not tolerate dissent from their own people," he said. "We will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again. But let me say to the young people of Africa, and young people around the world - you can make his life's work your own."
Striking a deeply personal note, he went on: "Over 30 years ago, while still a student, I learned of Mandela and the struggles in this land. It stirred something in me. It woke me up to my responsibilities - to others, and to myself - and set me on an improbable journey that finds me here today. And while I will always fall short of Madiba's example, he makes me want to be better. He speaks to what is best inside us."
People arriving for the ceremony reached for umbrellas and raincoats as a downpour drenched the streets outside and the stadium itself. While the mood was celebratory, South Africa's modern politics intruded into the occasion.
The crowd booed and whistled with displeasure when President Jacob G. Zuma's face appeared on the two large monitors at either end of the stadium. But there were cheers for Thabo Mbeki, Mandela's immediate successor as president.
The tribute to Mandela drew an unprecedented crowd of global VIPs, including at least 91 heads of state and government, celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and singer Bono as well as royalty including Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, who plans to attend the state funeral in Qunu.
Such was the range of those who supported Mandela -and wished to be associated with him -that the podium of dignitaries includes notables from most parts of the world from Europe to Latin America and China. At one point, Obama was seen shaking hands with the Cuban leader, Raul Castro.
But some focused on the less elevated among the mourners.
"This is a day for the people, not the powerful," said Jay Naidoo, a close confidant of Mandela and one of his early government ministers. "What Nelson Mandela stood for most of all was solidarity with the downtrodden of the world, and for them he is a symbol of social justice and human rights. That is why I am saying my goodbye from the ranks of the people."
Shortly before the scheduled start, the stadium was roughly half full, with most people crowding into the highest areas under a roof to shelter from the rain. "Even heaven is crying," one woman in the crowd declared. "We have lost an angel."
Many made long journeys, by bus and by train, to reach the stadium. Others gave up waiting for buses that they said never came and instead began the long slog in the rain to the stadium.
In spite of the memorial service, the day was not a holiday and at train stations on the outskirts of Johannesburg most people were going to work as if it were a normal Tuesday. Still, people continued to arrive, bowed against the hard, slanting rain.
As the formal starting time was delayed by about an hour, family members began to arrive, including Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Mandela's former wife, and his widow, Graca Machel. President Robert G. Mugabe of Zimbabwe was among many African leaders, including those of Nigeria, Uganda, both Congo states and Equatorial Guinea.
The US representation included former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, and the former secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush accompanied their husbands.
Britain and France were both represented by current and former leaders. The secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, rose and bowed on the VIP podium to acknowledge applause from the crowd.
Cyril Ramaphosa, a former labor leader who became a wealthy entrepreneur and, more recently, deputy leader of the governing African National Congress, presided over the ceremony, just as he played a central role when Mandela was released after 27 years in prison in 1990.
"His long walk is over," Ramaphosa declared, referring to "Long Walk to Freedom" the title of Mandela's autobiography. "But ours is only beginning."
He added: "More than 100 countries are represented here today representing easily billions of people around the world.
"He was our teacher and our mentor and never gave up on us for our failures," Ramaphosa said. Repeatedly Ramaphosa appealed to some in the crowd to stop booing political figures of whom they did not approve.
The national memorial service came 20 years to the day after Mandela and F W de Klerk, South Africa's last white president, who negotiated the demise of Afrikaner power, traveled together to Oslo to receive a shared Nobel Peace Prize. De Klerk was among the dignitaries arriving at the stadium on Tuesday for the event along with Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain.
President Francois Hollande of France planned to travel on from the ceremony to the Central African Republic, where his country has sent troop reinforcements to try to quell unrest, news reports said.
Huge cheers greeted Obama as he rose to speak. "To the people of South Africa - people of every race and every walk of life - the world thanks you for sharing Nelson Mandela with us," the president said. "His struggle was your struggle. His triumph was your triumph. Your dignity and hope found expression in his life, and your freedom, your democracy is his cherished legacy.
"It is hard to eulogize any man - to capture in words not just the facts and the dates that make a life, but the essential truth of a person - their private joys and sorrows; the quiet moments and unique qualities that illuminate someone's soul," Obama said. "How much harder to do so for a giant of history, who moved a nation toward justice, and in the process moved billions around the world."
He added: "He was not a bust made of marble; he was a man of flesh and blood - a son and husband, a father and a friend. That is why we learned so much from him; that is why we can learn from him still. For nothing he achieved was inevitable. In the arc of his life, we see a man who earned his place in history through struggle and shrewdness; and persistence and faith. He tells us what's possible not just in the pages of dusty history books, but in our own lives as well."
With his address punctuated by applause, Obama used Mandela's clan name to say: "It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well; to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion, generosity and truth. He changed laws, but also hearts."
Without identifying anyone by name, Obama also seemed to criticize despots around the world. "There are too many leaders who claim solidarity with Madiba's struggle for freedom, but do not tolerate dissent from their own people," he said. "We will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again. But let me say to the young people of Africa, and young people around the world - you can make his life's work your own."
Striking a deeply personal note, he went on: "Over 30 years ago, while still a student, I learned of Mandela and the struggles in this land. It stirred something in me. It woke me up to my responsibilities - to others, and to myself - and set me on an improbable journey that finds me here today. And while I will always fall short of Madiba's example, he makes me want to be better. He speaks to what is best inside us."
People arriving for the ceremony reached for umbrellas and raincoats as a downpour drenched the streets outside and the stadium itself. While the mood was celebratory, South Africa's modern politics intruded into the occasion.
The crowd booed and whistled with displeasure when President Jacob G. Zuma's face appeared on the two large monitors at either end of the stadium. But there were cheers for Thabo Mbeki, Mandela's immediate successor as president.
The tribute to Mandela drew an unprecedented crowd of global VIPs, including at least 91 heads of state and government, celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and singer Bono as well as royalty including Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, who plans to attend the state funeral in Qunu.
Such was the range of those who supported Mandela -and wished to be associated with him -that the podium of dignitaries includes notables from most parts of the world from Europe to Latin America and China. At one point, Obama was seen shaking hands with the Cuban leader, Raul Castro.
But some focused on the less elevated among the mourners.
"This is a day for the people, not the powerful," said Jay Naidoo, a close confidant of Mandela and one of his early government ministers. "What Nelson Mandela stood for most of all was solidarity with the downtrodden of the world, and for them he is a symbol of social justice and human rights. That is why I am saying my goodbye from the ranks of the people."
Shortly before the scheduled start, the stadium was roughly half full, with most people crowding into the highest areas under a roof to shelter from the rain. "Even heaven is crying," one woman in the crowd declared. "We have lost an angel."
Many made long journeys, by bus and by train, to reach the stadium. Others gave up waiting for buses that they said never came and instead began the long slog in the rain to the stadium.
In spite of the memorial service, the day was not a holiday and at train stations on the outskirts of Johannesburg most people were going to work as if it were a normal Tuesday. Still, people continued to arrive, bowed against the hard, slanting rain.
As the formal starting time was delayed by about an hour, family members began to arrive, including Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Mandela's former wife, and his widow, Graca Machel. President Robert G. Mugabe of Zimbabwe was among many African leaders, including those of Nigeria, Uganda, both Congo states and Equatorial Guinea.
The US representation included former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, and the former secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush accompanied their husbands.
Britain and France were both represented by current and former leaders. The secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, rose and bowed on the VIP podium to acknowledge applause from the crowd.
Cyril Ramaphosa, a former labor leader who became a wealthy entrepreneur and, more recently, deputy leader of the governing African National Congress, presided over the ceremony, just as he played a central role when Mandela was released after 27 years in prison in 1990.
"His long walk is over," Ramaphosa declared, referring to "Long Walk to Freedom" the title of Mandela's autobiography. "But ours is only beginning."
He added: "More than 100 countries are represented here today representing easily billions of people around the world.
"He was our teacher and our mentor and never gave up on us for our failures," Ramaphosa said. Repeatedly Ramaphosa appealed to some in the crowd to stop booing political figures of whom they did not approve.
The national memorial service came 20 years to the day after Mandela and F W de Klerk, South Africa's last white president, who negotiated the demise of Afrikaner power, traveled together to Oslo to receive a shared Nobel Peace Prize. De Klerk was among the dignitaries arriving at the stadium on Tuesday for the event along with Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain.
President Francois Hollande of France planned to travel on from the ceremony to the Central African Republic, where his country has sent troop reinforcements to try to quell unrest, news reports said.
© 2013, The New York Times News Service
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