‘If he could preach forgiveness, you can too’

“Madiba your work is done, ours is just beginning,” these were the words of human settlement MEC, Ravi Pillay at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela at Ebandla Hotel on Monday evening.
People from different walks of life of gathered for the service which was organised by the ANC’s Greater KwaDukuza region. The young and old came together to pay their respects to the man who fought the democracy that South Africans enjoy today.
The service opened with interfaith prayers, with Ballito Lions’ Paul Naidoo representing the Hindus and pastor Glenn Schroder from the Christian Revival Church.
Schroder compared Madiba to Joseph in the Bible who suffered a life of slavery only to rise above his circumstances and become a prime minister of Egypt.
Leaders from different political parties gave heartfelt accounts of what Madiba meant to them both personally and politically. IFP’s Moosa Motala read a tribute poem written by his granddaughter entitled “Madiba, the children’s champion”.
“God must have really loved South Africa to have given us someone as outstanding as Mandela. Such a wonderful human being whose kind we are destined never to meet again,” said Motala.
The connecting factor with all the speakers was their plea to everyone and especially leaders to honour Mandela’s legacy by making worthwhile contributions towards making South Africa a better country.
“Madiba was not a politician, he was a statesman. A politician’s main concern is the next election but a statesman’s priority concern is the next generation and that is what he was about,” said pastor Nel Sewraj of the ACDP.
Both Sewraj and DA councillor, Colin Marsh said today’s leaders needed to carry the essence of Mandela’s spirit and love for the people so that future generations can benefit from it.
“Although I regret never meeting the great man, I will always remember what he stood for, which is unity, peace and justice. Just like how the flag and the anthem unites us, we must use his ideals to do the same,” said councillor Marsh.
Human settlement MEC, Ravi Pillay spoke about reading a book about Mandela in 1981 while he was in Mozambique. He said the literature did not do justice to the icon because he really understood the power that Madiba had when he met him for the first time a decade later.
“Madiba was not a saint but he was shaped by collective ideologies of great people like Chief Albert Luthuli and Walter Sisulu and those made him into a man he was. If he could rise above being imprisoned for 27 and came out to preach about love and forgiveness, you can too,” said Pillay.
Pillay said the real monument to honour Madiba should be in the way South Africans treat each other, with kindness and love.