This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen
on .
It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
SOWETO, South Africa — In an outpouring of praise, remembrance and celebration, scores of leaders from around the world, including President Obama, joined tens of thousands of South Africans in a vast, rain-swept soccer stadium here on Tuesday to pay common tribute to Nelson Mandela, whose struggle against apartheid inspired his own country and many far beyond its borders.
SOWETO, South Africa — For a day, the world came to Nelson Mandela’s adopted hometown. There were celebrities: Bono, Naomi Campbell, Charlize Theron. There were kings-in-waiting: Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Crown Prince Felipe of Spain. There were more presidents and prime ministers than at just about any other setting outside a United Nations General Assembly.
Huge cheers greeted Mr. Obama as he rose to offer a eulogy that blended a personal message with a broader appeal for Mr. Mandela’s values to survive him. South Africans, swathed in their national colors, some wearing wraparounds bearing Mr. Mandela’s portrait, celebrated their former president as both an inspiration and an inherited memory for those raised in the post-apartheid era.
It was a singular gathering to celebrate a life virtually unmatched in modern times, and the assemblage of allies and adversaries reflected Mr. Mandela’s enduring legacy of forgiveness and reconciliation, as well the messy and sometimes clashing global allegiances of his party, the African National Congress.
“To the people of South Africa — people of every race and every walk of life — the world thanks you for sharing Nelson Mandela with us,” President Obama said. “His struggle was your struggle. His triumph was your triumph. Your dignity and hope found expression in his life, and your freedom, your democracy, is his cherished legacy.”
President Obama gave a eulogy that stirred the crowd, only to be followed later by President Raúl Castro of Cuba. The two even shared an unexpected handshake. Old friends met happily in the V.I.P. area, while old enemies, like former Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, avoided each other.
Sheets of driving rain swept across this former segregated township — an urban sprawl within sight of the glittery high rises of downtown Johannesburg — keeping some mourners away from the 95,000-capacity FNB Stadium where Mr. Mandela made his last public appearance during the soccer World Cup in 2010. The stadium was far from full as the start of the memorial approached.
“It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well; to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion and generosity and truth,” Mr. Obama said in his remarks, referring to Mr. Mandela by his clan name. “He changed laws, but he also changed hearts.”
Sheets of driving rain swept across this former segregated township — an urban sprawl within sight of the glittery high rises of downtown Johannesburg — keeping many mourners away from the vast soccer stadium where Mr. Mandela made his last public appearance, during the World Cup in 2010. Still, tens of thousands of other South Africans, swathed in their national colors, came out to celebrate Mr. Mandela, who died on Thursday at the age of 95, some stomping their feet as protesters did during the movement that led to his release from prison in 1990 after 27 years of incarceration.
“Even heaven is crying,” one woman in the crowd declared as the deluge continued. “We have lost an angel.”
“Even heaven is crying,” one woman in the crowd declared as the deluge continued. “We have lost an angel.”
For those tens of thousands who entered the stadium, the memorial service, part of a 10-day period of national mourning since Mr. Mandela died last Thursday, was a moment that fused revolutionary memories of the fight against apartheid with appeals for the values of forgiveness and reconciliation. Songs of the struggle, as the anti-apartheid campaign is known, blended with hymns and prayer.
The day began with a joyful noise.
Some stomped their feet as young protesters did during the years of protest that led to Mr. Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 after 27 years of incarceration.
Nothando Dube, 31, left her home in Soweto at dawn, joining a throng to sing old songs of the struggle against apartheid, waiting for the memorial to the man who brought democracy to South Africa and became its first black president. It was a moment for a country that at times still seems deeply divided by race, class, religion and tribe to join together once again as the Rainbow Nation of Mr. Mandela’s dreams.
As much as visiting dignitaries sought to underscore their association with Mr. Mandela, their presence here also reinforced South Africans’ pride in him. The strains of South Africa’s national anthem — “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika,” or “God Bless Africa” — swelled over the stadium.
“It feels different when you sing it now as a free young person,” said Ms. Dube, wearing an A.N.C. beret. “You try to reach that feeling, that emotion they were feeling when they sang that song in prison.”
“It is hard to eulogize any man — to capture in words not just the facts and the dates that make a life, but the essential truth of a person — their private joys and sorrows; the quiet moments and unique qualities that illuminate someone’s soul,” Mr. Obama said. “How much harder to do so for a giant of history, who moved a nation toward justice, and in the process moved billions around the world.”
But a few hours later, her mood had darkened. As jeers cascaded from the crowd aimed at South Africa’s current president, Jacob Zuma, Ms. Dube was one of many rolling their arms in the gesture known the world over as a call to substitute a failing player in a soccer match. It was an unmistakable message to Mr. Zuma, who faces corruption charges and deep worries about his governing of the country.
The moment was not immune to more recent political undercurrents in advance of elections next year. South Africa’s current president, Jacob Zuma, was greeted with boos and whistles from a crowd that cheered President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, the former South African president Thabo Mbeki and, loudest of all, President Obama.
“You don’t want to be airing your laundry in front of everybody, but people wanted to send a message,” she said. “The man on the street feels there’s a lot that should have been done by now to fix the country.”
Using Mr. Mandela’s clan name, Mr. Obama declared: “It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well; to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion, generosity and truth. He changed laws, but also hearts.”
Like many around the world, the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, praised Mr. Mandela’s ability to look beyond past wrongs, bridge divisions and build a new nation, inspiring his own country and many others far beyond its borders.
Striking a deeply personal note, he went on: “Over 30 years ago, while still a student, I learned of Mandela and the struggles in this land. It stirred something in me. It woke me up to my responsibilities — to others, and to myself — and set me on an improbable journey that finds me here today. And while I will always fall short of Madiba’s example, he makes me want to be better. He speaks to what is best inside us.”
“He showed the awesome power of forgiveness — and of connecting people with each other and with the true meaning of peace,” Mr. Ban said in his remarks. “That was his unique gift, and that was the lesson he shared with all humankind. He has done it again. Look around this stadium and this stage. We see leaders representing many points of view, and people from all walks of life. All here, all united.”
People arriving for the ceremony reached for umbrellas and raincoats amid the drenching rain.
But what had been planned as a moment to reunite a nation struggling with a slumping economy, widening inequality, rampant corruption and deep political divisions ultimately showcased the broad discontent with South African politics today. Many attending the service booed and hooted at Mr. Zuma, who has for many come to symbolize all the lost promise of South Africa’s peaceful transition from racist white rule to nonracial democracy.
Nothando Dube, 31, left her home in Soweto at 5 a.m., first walking through the cold and then riding the rest of the way in a cab. She was at the stadium by 6 a.m., singing old struggle songs until the memorial began more than five hours later.
“I don’t own a house even though I am always struggling,” said George Tshotlego Mikobeni, 27 and unemployed, as he watched Mr. Zuma on stage at the memorial.
“It feels different when you sing it now as a free young person,” said Ms. Dube, wearing a beret of Mr. Mandela’s party, the African National Congress. “You try to reach that feeling, that emotion they were feeling when they sang that song in prison.”
“He is not like Madiba,” Mr. Mikobeni said. “He only cares about himself. This man spent all our money on his house, so many millions,” he continued, referring to $27 million on so-called security upgrades to Mr. Zuma’s home, which were paid for with government money but included things that had nothing to do with security, according to a preliminary investigation.
Godwin Abel, 28, a graphic and Web designer, said that paying tribute to Mr. Mandela was something he owed the former president after his years of struggle and imprisonment. “He made an impact on our lives and we should show some gratitude toward him,” he said.
The mood reflected the prevailing feeling in South Africa, where basic government services like education, electricity and water are failing, and joblessness among young men like Mr. Mikobeni is endemic. Allegations of corruption against top officials like Mr. Zuma, along with the killing of 34 striking miners in Marikana last year, have fed a widespread perception that South Africa’s current leaders have drifted far from the masses they claim to represent. As Mr. Zuma spoke, many began leaving the stadium, streaming down concrete ramps and into the relentless rain.
The United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, emphasized Mr. Mandela’s focus on forgiveness, a centerpiece of his presidency that helped South Africa move from apartheid to a multiracial democracy with considerably less upheaval than many had feared.
“Sometimes I ask myself, why aren’t things better?” Mr. Mikobeni said. “What happened?”
“He showed the awesome power of forgiveness — and of connecting people with each other and with the true meaning of peace,” Mr. Ban said. “That was his unique gift, and that was the lesson he shared with all humankind. He has done it again. Look around this stadium and this stage. We see leaders representing many points of view, and people from all walks of life. All here, all united.”
At times, the proceedings seemed to be more about geopolitics than about national mourning. China, a vital trade partner for South Africa, sent its vice president, Li Yuanchao, instead of its president or another official more recognizable abroad. He was nonetheless granted a prime speaking slot as one of only a few foreign leaders who made remarks, though few in the audience seemed to be able to identify him — or most of the other leaders.
When it came to his turn to speak, South Africa’s president, Mr. Zuma, struggled against a barrage of hoots and whistles as he approached the lectern. As the abuse continued, Mr. Zuma’s face on the huge screens was soon replaced with images of Mr. Mandela as music blasted through the speakers.
But for many who streamed into the stadium, it was a chance to say goodbye to a beloved figure of whom everyone seemed to have a personal memory.
Mr. Zuma began his remarks as the restive crowd quieted, but many began leaving the stadium, streaming down concrete ramps and into the relentless rain.
Joyce Simelane and Meisie Mello traveled together to a stadium in Soweto nearly a quarter-century ago. It was 1990, and the two sisters were filled with excitement and anticipation because they were going to see Mr. Mandela, newly released from prison, speak to the people.
“There is no one like Madiba, Mr. Zuma said. “He was one of a kind.”
“We were overwhelmed to see him there,” said Ms. Simelane, 60. “I grew up learning about the A.N.C., Mandela, Robben Island.”
But, driving home a political message before the 2014 elections, Mr. Zuma emphasized that Mr. Mandela’s party, the African National Congress, was not about any one leader.
“He changed our lives,” said Ms. Mello, 54.
“Mandela believed in collective leadership,” Mr. Zuma said. “He never wanted to be viewed as a messiah or a saint. He recognized that all of his achievements were a result of working with the A.N.C. collective.”
They moved out of the township. Their children could attend mixed schools with white teachers. Because of Mr. Mandela, they said, their lives were entirely different from what they otherwise would have been. Ms. Simelane has hosted students from Alaska, Italy and Brazil. Her daughter has gone to study in Chile, spoken fluent Spanish and worked as a tour guide.
Tuesday’s ceremony drew an enormous array of global V.I.P.'s, including at least 91 heads of state and government, celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and the singer Bono, as well as royalty. The period of official mourning is scheduled to continue this week, with Mr. Mandela’s body lying in state for three days in Pretoria, and a state funeral on Sunday in his remote boyhood village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape region.
So they rose at 5:30 a.m. and made their way, together again, back to Soweto, to a new, top-of-the-line stadium, but this time with a sadder mission — to bid Mr. Mandela goodbye.
The authorities seem intent on ensuring that South Africans have ample opportunity to express their reverence for Mr. Mandela. The government has invited citizens to form a so-called people’s honor guard in Pretoria on Wednesday as the procession bearing Mr. Mandela’s coffin is transported in a cortege from a mortuary at a military hospital to the Union Buildings, once the seat of white power.
“We’re going to miss him,” Ms. Simelane said. “Today we feel he needs to rest. He’s old. He went through so much.”
The phalanx of dignitaries on Tuesday included notables from Europe, Latin America and China.
In a gesture sure to be dissected for its symbolic and political significance, Mr. Obama shook hands with President Raúl Castro of Cuba, the brother of the longtime American adversary Fidel Castro. Relations between the two countries have been less frosty of late but the Castro brothers remain divisive figures for many Americans, especially Cuban-Americans in Florida.
Some focused on the less celebrated mourners instead.
“This is a day for the people, not the powerful,” said Jay Naidoo, a close confidant of Mr. Mandela and one of his early government ministers. “What Nelson Mandela stood for most of all was solidarity with the downtrodden of the world, and for them he is a symbol of social justice and human rights. That is why I am saying my goodbye from the ranks of the people.”
Shortly before the scheduled start, the stadium was roughly half full, with most people taking shelter in the highest areas under the roof. Many made long journeys, by bus and by train, to reach the stadium. Others gave up waiting for buses that they said never came and instead began the long slog to the stadium.
In spite of the memorial service, the day was not a holiday and at train stations on the outskirts of Johannesburg most people were going to work as if it were a normal Tuesday. Still, people continued to arrive, bowed against the hard, slanting rain.
As the formal starting time was delayed by about an hour, family members took their places on the V.I.P. podium, including Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Mr. Mandela’s former wife, and his widow, Graça Machel, both somber and swathed in black. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe was among the many African leaders, including those of Nigeria, Uganda, both Congo states and Equatorial Guinea.
The American delegation included three former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter — as well as the former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush.
Britain and France were both represented by current and former leaders. “It was more a celebration than a commemoration,” Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain told reporters after the event.
Cyril Ramaphosa, a former labor leader who became a wealthy entrepreneur and, more recently, deputy leader of the governing A.N.C., presided over the ceremony, just as he played a central role when Mr. Mandela was released from prison in 1990.
“His long walk is over,” Mr. Ramaphosa declared, referring to “Long Walk to Freedom,” the title of Mr. Mandela’s autobiography. “But ours is only beginning.”
“More than 100 countries are represented here today, representing easily billions of people around the world,” Mr. Ramaphosa said, adding that the event was “how Nelson Mandela would have wanted to be sent off.”
“He was our teacher and our mentor and never gave up on us for our failures,” Mr. Ramaphosa said.
The memorial service came 20 years to the day after Mr. Mandela and F.W. de Klerk, South Africa’s last white president, who negotiated the demise of Afrikaner power, traveled together to Oslo to receive a shared Nobel Peace Prize. Mr. de Klerk was among the dignitaries at the stadium on Tuesday.
Lydia Polgreen and Nicholas Kulish reported from Soweto, South Africa, and Alan Cowell from London.
Lydia Polgreen and Nicholas Kulish reported from Soweto, South Africa, and Alan Cowell from London.
Lydia Polgreen and Nicholas Kulish reported from Soweto, and Alan Cowell from London.
