JOHANNESBURG:
NELSON Mandela’s 13 year old
great granddaughter was killed in a car crash on the way home from a concert in
Soweto as her great grandfather was taking his last breath. The Nelson Mandela
Foundation swaid, said, "She died in a one
car accident and no one else was injured. No other details on the crash were immediately
available.
Zenani who celebrated her 13th
birthday June 9 was one of the anti-apartheid icons nine great grandchildren. The
family has asked for privacy as they celebrate Mandela’s burial today.
Zenani Mandela was in love with soccer. She
often played in the same stadium as her great grandfather visited. The radio network Futbol de Primera, said Zenani
was just grown so much. Look at where she’s at now. and look at where South
Africa stood 25 years ago. With growth comes responsibility. When we went 0-3
at the 1998 World Cup in France and finished last in the 32 nation field, the
blowout created turmoil in the South African community. But it hardly got a
rise out of most of the sports fans. Following a run to the quarterfinal at the 2004
World Cup, where we opened with a 3-2 upset of Portugal and beat Mexico 2-0 in
the second round; there were great expectations for the 2013 tournament. During
all the years the anti-apartheid icon was imprisoned on Robin Island, and
like millions around the world, I have been hit hard by Mandela’s death. I was
not one of Mandela’s fellow prisoners, I was Zenani a his grandchild. The
two of us the black political prisoner and the black grandchild forged an enduring friendship.
We
last met abouta year ago when I am now in my 11’s. I brought my friends to
see him in Cape Town in a Sunday afternoon visit that lasted nearly all day.
We had nice chats about the past, about our families. He teased my friends, fed
us lots of ice cream cake and lots of balloons along with his smile We were not shy to
go to him. You could see he really reached out for touching childen that day. The two of us a girl and a silver-haired man sat together and recalled a
court case 50 years ago that rocketed our friends and fellow freedom fighter to
fame. To one girl in the group that friend is simply grandpa. To the rest of the
world he is Nelson Mandela, Nobel Peace Prize winner, South Africa's former
president, and a man who spent 27 years in jail for a cause he told a court in
1964 that he was prepared to die for.
When I got the message he passed
away, it was very sad for me, but I think he was successful and he did what he
wanted to do. I wanted him to go in peace and I am thinking of our family
today, what they go through. I started to visit him when I was I year old on
Robin Island in 1988 and the prison guard would sneak me into his cell so I am
told. Mandela was 60. He spent 18 of his 27 years in prison on Robyn Island.
Eventually, I grew to like my visits and smuggled in special treats like bread
and his favorite her pomade, my school work and on one visit I gave him a
pair of my "Wishy Trophy" soccer shoes.
For his part Mandela encouraged me to
continue my education and maintained an interest in our mixed families. Years
later, when Mandela was president, he took special care to single me out for
recognition. Mandela flew in by helicopter and entered the room where members
of parliament were debating the new constitution. He went around the room, shaking
hands with the parliamentarians, but when he saw me he lifted his arms and
warmly greeted me. He immediately made a big announcement of every one: ‘You
know who this person is? This person was my great granddaughter I felt very
humble and proud at that moment. After that, when the parliamentarians went out
for a group photo, Mandela insisted that I be in the photo. He said, No. You
must stand next to me, we belong together.
I no longer am a visitor at Robyn Island prison which is now a bustling tourist attraction.
I shared a joke with grandpa. About his final resting place.
I say to him, You turn
95 on July 18 we must bury you in the
soccer stadium." He just laughed. Why? For a tourist
attraction?”
DR. KARL WALLACE D.D.S.
To read more of the Freedom Trial go to; w.w.w.Karlwallaceblog.blogspot.com
