{People across the East African region and the world are paying homage to Nelson Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the most esteemed political figures of the 20th century.}
Mandela, aged 95, died Thursday (December 5th) at his Johannesburg home after battling a lung infection for months.
“The world has lost one of its greatest citizens,” Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said, calling Mandela “a voice of courage, a source of inspiration and a beloved leader to us all”.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Mandela “embodied the power of hope and believed in the power of forgiveness”.
“He bequeathed us the understanding that we can and should unconditionally forgive those who wrong us,” Kenyatta added.
Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Mandela “impacted the lives of people in every corner of the world. All of Africa will mourn the loss of a true African hero, statesman and elder.”
“He was an inspiration and beacon of hope to people across the globe who are fighting for justice and peace in the world,” Mohamud continued.
Mandela will be laid to rest in his ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape on December 15th after a week of national mourning.
Mandela, an example for Somali leaders
Somali lawmaker Mohamed Omer Dalha has asked the Somali government to name an important public venue, government building or street in Mogadishu after Mandela to forever commemorate the crucial role he played in Africa’s history.
“Nelson Mandela was a legendary man in his country and across the world,” Dalha told Sabahi.
“He facilitated genuine reconciliation among the people of South Africa without looking back at the dark history of that country,” he said. “I would say, let us include his history and stories about Africa’s hero, Nelson Mandela, in Somalia’s schoolbooks.”
Dalha said he would like Somalia’s leaders to emulate Mandela in the gracious manner in which he handed over the presidency when he finished his term.
“In order for us to reach the level of development Nelson Mandela was able to realise for his country and his people, I would suggest that Somali leaders should stop loving power and become like Mandela,” he said. “When his term in office was finished, he handed over his powers without adding a single day and instead opted to continue working for his people as a humanitarian worker.”
Dalha, who is chairman of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee, sent his condolences to the entire population of South Africa.
“Mandela’s death is a loss to the whole world and is not South Africa’s loss alone,” he said.
Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, head of the Mogadishu-based Centre for Research and Dialogue, said what Mandela will be most remembered for is his sense of duty to his country and willingness to forgo personal interests for the advancement of his people.
“He committed his life for the good of the people of South Africa to his own detriment,” he said, adding that if Somalia’s leaders followed his example Somalia too would be able to reconcile and move on from its difficult past.
Sabahi Online
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