My Day With Madiba

My day with Nelson Mandela.

While I was a newspaper reporter, I had the honor to spend a whole day with Nelson Mandela (Madiba) touring parts of Johannesburg. It was a dreary, rainy winter’s day, and we were all wet and cold, but the magic of meeting Madiba in person turned it into a day filled with sunshine.

He was the most humble, beautiful soul I have ever met. He went out of his way to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome. There was an aura of quiet strength and tranquility surrounding him.

During this time, there were tribal wars between the Zulu and Xhosa tribes. We were all a bit wary about getting caught in the crossfire. In one of the Zulu tribal areas, we were met by tribal soldiers. I was shaking in my heels, in all honesty. Because of the unrest between the tribes, we weren’t sure if we would be met in peace. But Madiba’s peacefulness soon set everyone at peace.

His security detail was always around him, and you had to be a VIP to be in his presence, but he reached out to everyone on our route. Children make him smile, and he took time to greet them with warmth.

I will treasure this day for the rest of my life.

Namaste