Kuhani,
..naomba nirekebishe kidogo. ninavyokumbuka Mwalimu alizikwa Oct 23 ambayo ilikuwa Jumamosi. Mandela alionekana akiangalia mechi ya Cowboys vs Redskins jumapili Oct 24.
Mandela, Saudi prince attend Cowboys game
Author: Jean-Jaques Taylor Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News
Publish Date: October 25, 1999
Former South African president Nelson Mandela watched the Dallas Cowboys' victory Sunday afternoon from team owner Jerry Jones' Texas Stadium luxury box. Mr. Mandela was in Dallas as a guest of Prince Bandar bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia, a longtime friend of Mr. Jones.
He arrived at halftime, then paid the Cowboys a postgame locker room visit and spoke to several players, including cornerback Deion Sanders.
..kabla ya hapo Mandela alikuwa Israel. tena hapa tunaweza kutoa timeline kwamba Mzee Madiba alikuwa na muda tosha wa kuhudhuria mazishi ya Mwalimu.
..nakumbuka hata Madeleine Albright alikuja na kuhudhuria shughuli ya iliyofanyika uwanja wa taifa dsm.
..lakini hilo la kutokuhudhuria mazishi ya Mwalimu halina madhara kama alivyoshughulikia mgogoro wa DRC.
..Mandela alikataa kuyatambua majeshi ya Angola,Namibia,na Zimbabwe, kama sehemu ya operation ya SADC. kisingizio chake ni kwamba yeye kama mwenyekiti hakuwa consulted kabla majeshi hayo hayajatumwa DRC.
..kitendo kilikuwa kinapingana na maamuzi ya Mwenyekiti wa kitengo cha ulinzi cha SADC wakati huo Robert Mugabe. maelezo ya Mugabe yalikuwa ni kwamba mwanachama wa SADC[Congo/Kabila] amevamiwa na suala hilo ilibidi liamuliwe kwa dharura bila kusubiri kikao cha maraisi na mwenyekiti wa SADC[mandela]
..msimamo wa Mandela ndiyo uliowapa kiburi Rwanda na Uganda kufanya walivyotaka DRC. SADC ilishindwa kuzungumza kwa sauti moja. wananchi wasio na hatia zaidi ya millioni 2 wamefariki kutokana na uvamizi wa Rwanda na Uganda.
..kinachonishangaza ni kile kimya kizito cha vyombo ya habari wakati wa-Congo wanachinjwa na majeshi ya Kagame na Museveni. bila Mugabe kutuma askari wake DRC nadhani nchi hiyo ingesambaratika na sijui hali ingekuwa vipi eneo hili la maziwa makuu.
NB:
..kuna kisa cha Mugabe kukataa ombi la Mandela kwamba Wazimbabwe waliofungwa kwa kushirikiana na makaburu kushambulia ndani ya Zimbabwe wasamehewe vifungo vyao.