Friday, Dec 06, 2013
Abu Dhabi: The loss of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela is being grieved and was heavily felt on Friday by a wide cross section of UAE residents, who spoke about the man, his life and his legacy. Albie Sachs, 78, a former judge on the Constitutional Court of South Africa, who was in the capital to give a lecture at New York University, shared his memories of the great leader with Gulf News in Abu Dhabi.
Sachs said, “While inaugurating the constitutional court, Mandela recounted that thirty years ago he had appeared in a court to know whether he would be hanged for his struggle for freedom. ‘Decades later,’ he said, ‘he was standing in a court as the president of the country.’
“This is my most memorable moment with Mandela,” said Sachs, who is on a visit to Abu Dhabi, to give a talk at New York University.
As an anti-apartheid campaigner in exile in Mozambique, Sachs survived an assassination attempt in 1988, in which he lost his right arm and left eye.
After recuperation, he returned to South Africa and played a major role in drafting its democratic constitution.
Nelson Mandela appointed him a judge in the new constitutional court, where Sachs made a number of historic rulings, including legalising gay marriage.
Albie Sachs is sure that South Africa will carry forward Mandela’s legacy. “It is not personal legacy...it is institutional legacy.”
The South African Constitution, that ensures rights of people, is Mandela’s greatest legacy, the former justice said.
Mpetjna Kgaogelo Lekgoro, South African Ambassador to the UAE, said the world has lost a great man.
“We mourn the death of our father...our leader. We feel poorer without him. We will carry the legacy he has left behind him. His life gives the message that goodness can overcome evil. The South African community in Abu Dhabi heard this news with shock. While grieving we understand that we have to overcome the vacuum created by the departure of Mandela,” said the ambassador.
“We are looking at the possible way how South African can converge to mourn the leader. The South African Embassy will open a condolence book for the visitors to mark their condolence. A memorial will be held during this week. Its venue and time will be decided on Saturday.”
Dr Mohammad Muneer, Psychiatrist at Universal Hospital in Abu Dhabi, said, “Mandela was a great leader and a great man. He was a man of principles and he fought his whole life to uphold them. He was one of the great men in the history of the world whose number is always less. Such people will come along very rarely in future also.”
Sathi B. Streeton, an artist from Malaysia, said, “Mandela was a shining example for what great heights a man can reach in this world. Coming out of prison after thirty years, he still kept his spirits high to achieve his goals. He never gave up - that is Mandela’s greatest strength. He had a lot of faith and spirit. Having high purposes in goals kept his spirits so high.”
Expats in Dubai also mourned the death of anti-apartheid icon.
Gulam Mustafa, a South African engineer, said, “Nelson Mandela was not just a South African hero, he was a global icon. Every South African is grateful of him for the sacrifices he made to give us the life we have today, I hope we will have more leaders like him.”
Maggie Johnson, a British designer, said, “This is a loss to the entire world, he was a global hero, a champion of human rights. We look up to him for courage and inspiration. We need more leaders like him to create a just world.”
Indian expat, Abhishek Kakkar, said, “With the passing away of Nelson Mandela, we see that the last of the global Gandhians leaving us. Alongside Mahatma Gandhi, Mandela was the greatest leader of the 20th century, who changed the history of two great nations.”
By Binsal Abdul Kader and Shafaat ?Shahbandari Staff Reporters
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
