World leaders mourn Mandela
World leaders have mourned the death of former president
of South Africa, Nelson Mandela describing him as one of
the greatest man that lived in the 20th century.
Mandela passed on , Thursday, aged 95.
His death was announced by incumbent President Jacob Zuma, who said,
""He is now resting … he is now at peace,"…"Our nation
has lost its greatest son."
Mandela 'courageous and profoundly good' – Obama
America's first black president Barack Obama Thursday
mourned Nelson Mandela as a "profoundly good" man who
"took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral
universe towards justice."
Obama — who met the former South
African president briefly only once in 2005, but was inspired to enter politics
by the anti-apartheid hero's example — paid a somber
heartfelt tribute within 45 minutes of Mandela's death being
announced.
"We will not likely see the like of Nelson Mandela again,"
Obama said in a televised statement, hailing his political
hero for his "fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his
own freedom for the freedom of others."
Obama said Mandela, in his journey from a "prisoner to a
president," transformed South Africa and "moved all of us."
"He achieved more than could be expected of any man."
"Today he's gone home and we've 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."
Nelson Mandela
A great light has gone out', Cameron says of Mandela
British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday said "a
great light had gone out" following Nelson Mandela's death
as flags flew at half-mast at his Downing Street Office.
"Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time; a
legend in life and now in death — a true global hero," said
Cameron.
"Across the country he loved they will be mourning a man
who was the embodiment of grace," he added.
"Meeting him was one of the great honours of my life. My
heart goes out to his family — and to all in South Africa and
around the world whose lives were changed through his
courage.
"A great light has gone out in the world."
Mandela 'champion for human dignity and freedom' –
Clinton
Former US president Bill Clinton, who was in office when
Nelson Mandela took power in South Africa, on Thursday
mourned the death of a "champion for human dignity and
freedom".
"Today the world has lost one of its most important leaders
and one of its finest human beings," Clinton said in a
statement.
"History will remember Nelson Mandela as a champion for
human dignity and freedom, for peace and reconciliation,"
he added.
Mandela 'taught us how to come together' – Desmond Tutu
South Africa's archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu lauded his
compatriot and fellow Nobel peace laureate Nelson
Mandela Friday as the man who taught a deeply divided
nation how to come together.
"Over the past 24 years Madiba taught us how to come
together and to believe in ourselves and each other. He was
a unifier from the moment he walked out of prison," Tutu
said marking Mandela's passing.
Mandela a 'giant for justice' – Ban
UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Thursday hailed Nelson Mandela
as a "giant for justice" who had also left his mark with a
profound sense of human decency.
"Many around the world were influenced by his selfless
struggle for human dignity, equality and freedom. He
touched our lives in deeply personal ways," Ban told
reporters in tribute to Mandela, who died earlier Thursday
aged 95.
"Nelson Mandela was a giant for justice and a down-to-
earth human inspiration," the UN secretary general added.
Minutes after the announcement of his death, the UN
Security Council held a moment of silence in Mandela's
memory.
Ban met the South African anti-apartheid hero in February
2009, and said he had been particularly struck by
Mandela's "selflessness and deep sense of shared purpose."
Ban said that he had repeatedly praised Mandela for his
work in ending South Africa's brutal system of dividing
races.
Mandela was equally insistent in saying
"there are hundreds
and hundreds of known, unknown people, who have
contributed to the ending of apartheid," Ban said of the
encounter.
"I was deeply touched and moved and inspired."
Ban said that Africa and other parts of the world had
endured centuries of suffering because of colonialism.
"Only because of such great men like Nelson Mandela"
have people in Africa been able "to enjoy freedom and
human dignity."
Ban said he was "humbled" by Mandela's acheivements.
"We have to learn from the wisdom and determination and
commitment of President Mandela to make this world better
for all."
"I'm deeply grateful for what he has left during his lifetime
to make this world just and fair and equal," Ban said.
Mandela made racism stupid – Blair
Former prime minister Tony Blair said Mandela had made
racism "not just immoral but stupid".
"He was a wonderful man to be around, with a sharp wit,
extraordinary political savvy and a lovely way of charming
everyone in a building," recalled Blair.
"Through his dignity, grace and the quality of his
forgiveness, he made racism everywhere not just immoral
but stupid; something not only to be disagreed with, but to
be despised. In its place he put the inalienable right of all
humankind to be free and to be equal," he added.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the world's
Anglicans, mourned the loss of South Africa's "greatest
citizen and its father."
"Nelson Mandela, fighting to the end, is freed to be with his
God in joy and reward for his great service and sacrifice.
"We pray for his family, for his friends and for his country,"
added the archbishop.
Irish prime minister Enda Kenny paid tribute to the "gift" of
Mandela, and offered the country's deepest sympathies to
the people of South Africa.
"The name Mandela stirred our conscience and our hearts. It
became synonymous with the pursuit of dignity and freedom
across the globe," he said in a statement.
"As we mark his passing, we give thanks for the gift of
Nelson Mandela. We ask that his spirit continues to inspire,
guide and enlighten us as we strive to bring freedom and
dignity to the family of man, our brothers and sisters, across
the world," he added.
Scotland First Minister Alex Salmond said the world has lost
a "towering statesman and outstanding political
leader." ( AFP)
Source:vanguard
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