Nelson Mandela - Celebrating his life (Pictures)

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NELSON MANDELA 1918 - 2013: Freedom fighter, prisoner, president, global icon - the world mourns passing of man who freed his country and became an inspiration to billions



Nelson Mandela has died at his home in Johannesburg, South Africa aged 95. The anti-apartheid icon died at 12:50pm EST surrounded by close family.

Mandela's death came nearly five months after he was admitted to hospital with a lung infection. Despite being allowed to return home three months ago, South Africa's first black president has not been able to move from a bedroom described as being a 'virtual 24 hour intensive care unit' and has needed a ventilator to breath.

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A nation mourns: South African president Jacob Zuma tells the world of Mandela's passing in this screen grab of his Thursday address

Vigil: South Africans light candles outside Nelson Mandela's home in Johannesburg following the revered icon's death on Thursday

Far-reaching grief: Lungi Morrison, the granddaughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, sings after lighting a candle for Nelson Mandela outside the South African High Commission in London

Taking to the streets: South Africans stand outside the Mandela family home after the death of Nelson Mandela. Citizens of the African nation took to the streets after their revered leader's death

Mementos: Flowers, candles and tributes are left in memory of Nelson Mandela outside the South African High Commission across from Trafalgar Square in London, including a poster from the film about the leader that premiered in the UK the night of his death

Grateful nation: People sit behind burning candles for former president Nelson Mandela on hearing of his passing outside his Johannesburg home

Sad but celebratory: While many people looked sombre and visibly emotional following news of Mandela's death, others celebrated his achievements by dancing and singing

Rapt: People listen to a radio outside Mr Mandela's house as news of his death was announced by South African president Jacob Zuma

 

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A world indebted: Press gather outside Mandela's home. World leaders across the globe learned the somber news from South Africa's President Zuma. Many of them, notably US President Barack Obama, expressed their indebtedness to the late freedom fighter

Global leader: The United Nations Security Council observes a minute of silence upon the news of the noted peacemaker's death

 

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Mourning Madiba: President Barack Obama was one of the first world leaders to make a statement following Nelson Mandela's death

My inspiration: 'Like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my life without the example that Nelson Mandela set,' Mr Obama said.

 

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'I STUDIED HIS WORDS AND WRITINGS': PRESIDENT OBAMA EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO MANDELA AS HE PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE LATE LEADER

OBAMA'S ENTIRE SPEECH

At his trial in 1964, Nelson Mandela closed his statement from the dock saying: "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

And Nelson Mandela lived for that ideal, and he made it real. He achieved more than could be expected of any man. Today, he has gone home. And we have lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth. He no longer belongs to us – he belongs to the ages.

Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa – and moved all of us. His journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings – and countries – can change for the better.

His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives. And the fact that he did it all with grace and good humour, and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections, only makes the man that much more remarkable. As he once said, "I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying."

I am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela's life. My very first political action, the first thing I ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics, was a protest against apartheid. I studied his words and his writings. The day that he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they're guided by their hopes and not by their fears. And like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set, and so long as I live I will do what I can to learn from him.

To Graca Machel and his family, Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude for sharing this extraordinary man with us. His life's work meant long days away from those who loved him the most. And I only hope that the time spent with him these last few weeks brought peace and comfort to his family.

To the people of South Africa, we draw strength from the example of renewal, and reconciliation, and resilience that you made real. A free South Africa at peace with itself – that's an example to the world, and that's Madiba's legacy to the nation he loved.

We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again. So it falls to us as best we can to forward the example that he set: to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love; to never discount the difference that one person can make; to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice.

For now, let us pause and give thanks for the fact that Nelson Mandela lived – a man who took history in his hands, and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice. May God bless his memory and keep him in peace.

 

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In this 2011 meeting, the first daughters Malia (left) and Sasha (right) join their mother Michelle Obama for a sit down with Mandela

Unforgettable pose: Prime Minister David Cameron meets with Mandela in 2008, as the South African leader shoots his famously endearing grin

Nelson Mandela is pictured during a visit by former U.S. president Bill Clinton on July 17, 2012 at his home in Qunu, Eastern Cape, on the eve of his 94th birthday

 

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[h=3]ARTING WORDS TO AN HISTORIC LEADER: SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA'S GOODBYE SPEECH TO NELSON MANDELA[/h]

'My fellow South Africans, our beloved Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the founding president of our democratic nation has departed.
'He passed on peacefully in the company of his family around 20.50 on December 5 2013.

'He is now resting. He is now at peace.

'Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father.

'Although we knew that this day would come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss.

'His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world.

'His humility, his compassion, and his humanity earned him their love. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mandela family. To them we owe a debt of gratitude.

'They have sacrificed much and endured much so that our people could be free.

'Our thoughts are with his wife Mrs Graca Machel, his former wife Ms Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, with his children, his grandchildren, his great grandchildren and the entire family.

'Our thoughts are with his friends, comrades and colleagues who fought alongside Madiba over the course of a lifetime of struggle.

'Our thoughts are with the South African people who today mourn the loss of the one person who, more than any other, came to embody their sense of a common nationhood.

'Our thoughts are with the millions of people across the world who embraced Madiba as their own, and who saw his cause as their cause.

'This is the moment of our deepest sorrow.

'Our nation has lost its greatest son.

'Yet, what made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves.

'And in him we saw so much of ourselves.

'Fellow South Africans, Nelson Mandela brought us together, and it is together that we will bid him farewell.

'Our beloved Madiba will be accorded a state funeral.

'I have ordered that all flags of the Republic of South Africa be lowered to half-mast from tomorrow, December 6, and to remain at half-mast until after the funeral.

'As we gather to pay our last respects, let us conduct ourselves with the dignity and respect that Madiba personified.

'Let us be mindful of his wishes and the wishes of his family.

'As we gather, wherever we are in the country and wherever we are in the world, let us recall the values for which Madiba fought.

'Let us reaffirm his vision of a society in which none is exploited, oppressed or dispossessed by another.

'Let us commit ourselves to strive together - sparing neither strength nor courage - to build a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.

'Let us express, each in our own way, the deep gratitude we feel for a life spent in service of the people of this country and in the cause of humanity.

'This is indeed the moment of our deepest sorrow.

'Yet it must also be the moment of our greatest determination.

'A determination to live as Madiba has lived, to strive as Madiba has strived and to not rest until we have realised his vision of a truly united South Africa, a peaceful and prosperous Africa, and a better world.

'We will always love you, Madiba!

'May your soul rest in peace.

'God Bless Africa.

'Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika.'

 

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Inspiration: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, right, meets with former South Africa President Nelson Mandela at his home in Qunu, South Africa, last year

Former South African president and ex-leader of African National Congress (ANC) Nelson Mandela with American talkshow host Oprah Winfrey in 2005

Widely adored: A 1997 meeting of Mandela and Prime Minister Tony Blair at St Andrews

Men of dignity: Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama in Cape Town in 1996

Royal welcome: The Queen sits with South African President Nelson Mandela at a state banquet held in the Queen's honour in Cape Town in March 1995 - the first state visit to the country in almost 50 years

 

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An honor: 'It's something that makes me feel really proud that what my family went through and the role my father played has been recognised,' Zindzi said of the film and of meeting the Duke and Duchess

Family man: He is survived by second wife Machel (right), his daughters Makaziwe Zindzi and Zenani.

 

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Zindzi Mandela the daughter of Nelson Mandela poses for photographers as she arrives to attend the UK premiere of her father's biopic. Reports at the time of his death said his daughter only learned the news while in the theater

Shocking news: Zindzi Mandela, center, the daughter of Nelson Mandela arrives to attend the UK premiere of the movie "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" not long before the sisters learned of their iconic father's death

Here, the Mandela sisters are pictured with Anant Singh, the producer of the film about their father

 

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The Duke and Duchess were in high spirits upon their arrival (left) to the Nelson Mandela film, unaware the great freedom fighter had died just hours before. They were discreetly told of his passing near the end of the film and left in a somber mood

 

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South African Oscar-winner Charlize Theron led the tributes to Nelson Mandela tonight alongside movie mogul Harvey Weinstein - just hours after the Royal premiere of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Here, Weinstein greets stars Idris Elba (right) and Naomie Harris (center)

The former South African president with award winning actress, Charlize Theron, in South Africa in 2003 after she won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the movie Monster

 

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Famous friends: British supermodel Naomi Campbell and Nelson Mandela at a Othandweni orphanage in Hillbrow, South Africa, in 2001

 

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[h=3]QUOTES FROM A GREAT MAN: UNFORGETTABLE WORDS SPOKEN BY NELSON MANDELA THAT HELPED TO SHAPE THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD[/h]

‘What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.'

‘If people can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite'.

‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear'.

‘Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another'.

‘The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.'

‘Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.'

‘If I had my time over I would do the same again. So would any man who dares call himself a man.'

‘There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.'

‘It always seems impossible until it is done.'

‘It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.'
‘For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.'







While some political commentators have expressed a fear that Mandela's death could destabilise South Africa by re-opening racial wounds, most South Africans are well used to the idea of his passing.
Indeed, most serious political analysts in the country recognise that Mr Mandela's death is unlikely to create a political shockwave.

More significant, they say, may be the fact that without Mandela's immense moral authority, the ruling ANC party may be more vulnerable to charges of corruption and incompetence.

Mandela, who is generally considered to be 'the father' of modern South Africa, has said that his greatest regret has been his failure to have raised his own children.
He married three times. Two wives remain alive: his ex wife Winnie and Graca Machel. He has three remaining children, another four step children, 17 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
He was born into African aristocracy, a descendant of kings of the Thembu people, in Transkeiin 1918.

His father had four wives, among whom his mother ranked third.

Proud: Mandela always wanted to be seen as a man of the people and his 'big tent' approach to reaching out to the common man was widely adored

Happy family: Nelson and Winnie Mandela show off their firstborn daughter, Zindzi, at their home in Orlando West, Soweto in 1961

Starting out: From left to right are African National Congress (ANC) leader J.S. Moroka, ANC Youth League leader Nelson Mandela and President of the South African Indian Congress Yusuf Dadoo outside a Johannesburg courtroom during a trial connected with the Defiance Campaign in 1952

In court: Nelson Mandela pictured left in South Africa in 1961 and right speaking outside Drill Hall during the Treason Trial, the first major trial for treason in South Africa, in Johannesburg in 1961

 

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Upcoming release: A still from The Weinstein Company shows Idris Elba as Nelson Mandela in the upcoming film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

A still Idris Elba, left, as Nelson Mandela, and Riaad Moosa, as Mandela's fellow political prisoner Ahmed Kathrada, in the biographical film. The film premier in the UK the night Mandela died

 

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Nelson Mandela died at home today in Houghton, South Africa, aged 95. His passing was announced by South Africa President Zuma just before midnight local time. 'Let us conduct ourselves with the dignity and respect that Madiba personified' Jacob Zuma told the world, calling the first black president his nation's 'greatest son'. Zuma confirmed there will be a state funeral in the coming days. Mandela has been struggling with his health in recent years and has been on a ventilator for six months.

 

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Family affair: Nelson Mandela's daughter Zindzi Mandela on the red carpet at the Royal film performance of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Stars of the film (pictured left) Idris Elba and Naomie Harris, who plays Winnie Mandela, and (pictured right) producer Anant Singh with Mandela's daughters Zenani (in red) and Zindzi Mandela (right) arriving for the Royal Film Performance of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

 

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[h=1]The Mandela legacy: How family of inspirational leader who preached peace are at war over his £10million fortune[/h]

• Nelson Mandela died after being admitted to hospital
  
• Former leader believed to have amassed £10million fortune
• Much of the money has come from turning the Mandela name in to a brand
• Mandela merchandise includes wine, clothing and art works
  
• Two of his three daughters have 'launched legal battles over trust funds'

He was a celebrated symbol of peace and democracy the world over.

But in the last years of his life, Nelson Mandela's own family has been at war, bickering between themselves over his many millions.

And in the wake of the anti-apartheid leader's death at 95 today, it is feared his surviving family will be plunged in to deep rifts over who stands to gain his fortune.

Mandela was married three times and fathered six children - only three of whom, his daughters Makaziwe, Zenani 'Zeni' and Zindziswa, are still alive.

Bitter dispute: Makaziwe Mandela, left, and her sister Zenani, right with Nelson Mandela, are locked in a legal wrangle with two of their father's oldest friends over a £1million trust fund set up by the former South African president in 2005

'Lost trust': Nelson Mandela is said to have put £1million of his money in a trust fund to stop his family arguing over it

Legal rows: Nelson Mandela, centre, is surrounded by his grandchildren - many of whom supported a legal bid to gain control of a Mandela art merchandise company - at his house in Qunu, Eastern Cape, on his 90th birthday

His daughter Makaziwe, from his first marriage, and Zenani, from his second marriage, have reportedly already become embroiled in a legal battle earlier this year over the control of a £1million trust fund.

Mr Mandela's third daughter, Zindzi, is not involved in the court action, the Star of South Africa reported.

The money was placed in the fund by Mr Mandela in 2005 to be distributed to his daughters only in the event of hardship as he wanted them to forge a career of their own rather than live off his money.

He is said to have set up around 27 such funds over the years after 'losing trust' in his children with the money intended to last generations for 'specific circumstances' and not general use.

But Makaziwe and Zanani are demanding access to the fund and have begun legal action against the trust's two directors; 84-year-old lawyer George Bizos, who defended Mandela in the 1963 Rivonia Trial, and 60-year-old Tokyo Sexwale who was a prisoner alongside Mandela on Robben Island.

Legal action: Two of Mandela's daughters are suing for control of the trust, which is under the control of lawyer George Bizos (pictured in 1991, left) and Tokyo Sexwale, right

Family affair: Nelson Mandela with his daughter Princess Zenani Dlamini, centre, and her daughters Zaziwe Manaway, pictured left holding baby Ziphokazi Manaway, and Zamaswazi Dlamini pictured right holding baby Zamakhosi Obiri last year. Zaziwe appeared in the reality TV show 'Being Mandela' earlier this year

Supported by almost all of Mr Mandela's grandchildren, Makaziwe and Zenani allege that the trust was intended for them and that Mr Bizos and Mr Sexwale 'hijacked' it.
Makaziwe and Zenani have also launched a legal battle against the same two men and another lawyer Bally Chuene who are all directors of companies whose main purpose was to channel funds from the sale of Mandela's handprints.

The two daughters claim that Bizos, Sexwale and Chuene were never appointed by Mandela as major shareholders or directors. Bizos claims the allegations are completely false.

It is understood that Mandela has accumulated a fortune of more than £10million from his many autobiographies, intellectual work and after turning his family name in to a brand - a move his family have been more than happy to take advantage of.

The family is active in more than 110 trading companies, according to records compiled by Beeld newspaper.

Famous name: Swati Dlamini, left, and Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway, star in reality show 'Being Mandela'

Famous name: Swati Dlamini, left, and Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway, star in reality show 'Being Mandela'

His daughter Makaziwe has founded the House of Mandela wine label and is reportedly an active director in 16 other companies, although she insists some directorships have lapsed.
Addressing claims that the Mandela family are exploiting their name, Makaziwe has been quoted as saying: 'It's our name anyway. Why should we apologise for our name?

'I'm in the wine industry. There are families who've been in the wine industry for 500 years and no one says they are cashing in on their name.

'Every child in this family who wants to use the Mandela name has a right to do, so as long as they do so with honour and integrity and upholding the values of my father.'

Meanwhile, many of his grandchildren control other franchise companies or products.

He has 17 grandchildren and a growing number of great-grandchildren - several of whom have been accused of trying to make money off the back of their family ties with the famous leader.

[h=3]MANDELA'S FAMILY TREE[/h]Nelson Mandela married three times, fathering six children, only three of whom are alive today.

Mandela married his first wife Evelyn Ntoko Mase in 1944 but they divorced 13 years later.

The couple had two sons, Madiba 'Thembi' Thembekile, who died in 1969, and Makgatho Mandela who died in 2005.

They had a daughter named Makaziwe 'Maki' Mandela who died a few months after being born in 1947 and named their second daughter in her honour.

He married his second wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in 1957 and they divorced in 1996.

They had two daughters, Zenani 'Zeni' and Zindziswa 'Zindzi' Mandela-Hlongwane.

Mandela remarried on his 80th birthday in 1998 to Graça Machel who he was still married to at the time of his death.

He has 17 grandchildren - the oldest born in 1965 and the youngest in 1992 - and a growing number of great-grandchildren.


Two of his granddaughters - Zenani's two daughters Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini who are both in their 30s - appeared in a reality TV show called 'Being Mandela'.

While the 94-year-old former South African president does not appear in the show, his second wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela - 'Big Mommy' to her grandchildren - has a central role.

The sisters, along with two brothers, also launched a fashion line, called 'Long Walk to Freedom' in honour of their grandfather's autobiography.

Many family members have also become embroiled in scandals - with his grandson Mandla Mandela being accused of bigamy when he wed French teenager Anais Grimaud while still apparently married to his first wife.

The pair then later split when the couple's child was alleged to have been fathered by one of his brothers.

Mandla is the oldest son of Nelson's late son Makgatho.

He was born in 1974, followed by Ndaba (1983), Mbusu (1991) and Andile (1993). It is not known which brother was involved with his wife.

Mandla has also been accused in the past of trying to sell the TV coverage rights to his grandfather's funeral for £225,000.

Family members have also accused Mandla of wanting to evict a cousin from her home near Johannesburg in order to turn it into a tourist attraction. Mandela denied the allegations.

As well as financial rifts and court battles, Mandela's family has also been struck by many tragedies over the years.
His son, Makgatho Mandela died of AIDS in 2005 and Mandela's great-granddaughter, 13-year-old Zenani Mandela, was killed in a car crash caused by a driver travelling at twice the 80km/h speed limit on a motorway in South Africa in 2010.



source: The Mandela legacy: How family of inspirational leader who preached peace are at war over his £10million fortune | Mail Online

 

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Charismatic: Nelson Mandela and second wife Winne during the Fifties. In truth she was a troubled individual

Ladies' man: A powerfully-built boxer and keen ballroom dancer, Mandela was popular with members of the opposite sex

Acrimony: Nelson and his first wife Evelyn in 1944 - she made damaging allegations of domestic abuse which Mandela vehemently denied

Happier times: Mandela with his second wife Winnie - he first spotted her at a bus stop in Soweto