A young Jerry Sibiya once hosted Madiba at a Jo’burg hotel

STANDING in the foyer of the Southern Sun Hotel in Johannesburg, about to encounter a prisoner whose name instilled fear and uncertainty in the minds of so many, Jerry Sibiya was admittedly a bit apprehensive.

The entire street had been closed by military personnel who had arrived ahead of time to secure the area, special cameras had been installed in the hotel suite and the chopping of the helicopters circling overhead was deafening.

Thabo Mbeki and Chris Hani wore serious expressions as they waited.

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“We were not sure what to expect, but when Nelson Mandela walked in, he wore a big smile that immediately set everybody at ease. He greeted us, saying, ‘Good afternoon, everybody. Sanibonani.’ He shook our hands, and even exchanged a few words with our porter, who was Portuguese speaking. It was a moment in my life that I will never forget and I am glad I had the opportunity,” said Cllr Sibiya.

In 1990, when Nelson Mandela was released from prison, Cllr Sibiya was 23-years old and employed as the front office assistant manager at the Southern Sun Hotel, where he was responsible for making sure the South African icon’s stay in Johannesburg was as comfortable as possible.

Shortly after meeting Mandela, Cllr Sibiya would resign from his position at the hotel and return to AbaQulusi to pursue his career in politics, becoming Deputy Mayor of AbaQulusi following the country’s first democratic local government elections.

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“I deeply respected and admired Mandela for forgiving everybody and preaching reconciliation after he was released. Instead of seeking revenge for what he endured, he said, ‘Let’s rebuild the country together.’ He went on to ensure that basic human rights were afforded to everybody, not just selective groups, in the constitution,” continued Cllr Sibiya.

“It was a great moment when he acknowledged IFP leader, Dr Buthelezi as an icon in the country and approached Dr Buthelezi to make peace in KZN.

“I learned from him that if you want to be a leader, you must lead by example. You cannot focus on holding onto power; he stayed for just one term. You cannot lead with a sense of entitlement; he didn’t say he deserved this because he spent so much time in prison. Being a leader is not about money and it’s not about you. It’s about the people. That is what I learned from him.”