A 10-year-old Alexandra boy was so touched by the fact that former President Nelson Mandela has spent a month in hospital fighting for his life that he decided to send him a get well message.
“He may be in a critical condition in hospital, but I wish him well and a happy 95th birthday in advance. I love you Tata.”
Lehlohonolo More, a Grade 4 pupil at Rosebank Primary School, has written, what his granny Beauty More, of the Thusong Youth Centre in 12th Avenue, described as a “profoundly powerful message to come from a 10-year-old”.
“Mr Mandela went through a lot of hardships in his life. He had to run away from a forced marriage and chieftainship that would have silenced his political views, and on top of that, he later escaped the hangman’s noose by the skin of his teeth with a life imprisonment, of which he served 27 years [of it]. Now he is battling to live, having already spent more than 27 days in hospital. It’s all these hardships that he has endured that inspired me to write him a get well message. He is one of a rare breed of truly selfless leaders,” Lehlohonolo’s message read.
Lehlohonolo, a soccer fanatic and avid swimmer, said that his other greatest worry was that Madiba might be forced to spend his 95th birthday in hospital.
“He may be in a critical condition in hospital, but I wish him well and a happy 95th birthday in advance. I love you Tata.”
