South Africa's anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has passed away early this morning, at the age of 95. In a statement on national television, South Africa's President, Mr Jacob Zuma informed about the demise of the Nobel laureate. He said that their nation had lost its greatest son.
Mr. Zuma said Mandela would receive a full state funeral, and flags would be flown at half-mast until the state funeral. Mandela's body will be moved to a mortuary in Pretoria, and the funeral is likely to take place on 14th of this month. Nelson Mandela was one of the world's most revered statesman for preaching reconciliation despite being imprisoned for 27 years.
Tributes for Mandela began pouring in from around the world immediately after the announcement. US President Barack Obama said the world has lost one of the most courageous and profoundly good human beings. Obama said he could not imagine his own life without the example Mr. Mandela set.
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon hailed Mandela as a giant for justice who had inspired freedom movements the world over.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has expressed his condolences over Mandela's death. He said, a giant among men has passed away. Dr Singh said, this is as much India's loss as South Africa's and he was a true Gandhian. He said that Mandela's life and work will remain a source of eternal inspiration for generations to come.
Mandela was not only a persistent, untiring, activist who pushed to end apartheid in South Africa, but he was also a peacemaker and a quiet achiever even during his 27 year long confinement in prison. By transcending the limits of race, he showed the world that a righteous and well organised popular movement could not be denied. He was the first black South African to hold the office of President, and the first elected in a fully representative multiracial election.
His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality and fostering racial reconciliation. As a leader, he took on unpopular causes, became a global advocate for HIV/AIDS sufferers and spoke out for nuclear disarmament and against the Iraq war.
The recipient of Bharat Ratna and Mahatma Gandhi peace award, Mandela received more than two hundred and fifty awards over four decades, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He was a visionary, dreaming of a rainbow government for South Africa. Needless to say his pivotal role in South African politics changed the tide of African and world history.
