Eulogy by President Jacob Zuma at the State Funeral of the late former President of the Republic and former

Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, His E cellency !elson Rolihlahla "andela #unu, Eastern Cape $% &ecember '($)

Mama Graca Machel, Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and the entire family and abaThembu bonke, His Excellency Hailemariam Desalegn, the Minister of Ethio!ia, Her Excellency Dr %oyce &anda, hair!erson of the 'outhern "frican De(elo!ment ommunity, )'"D * and the $resident of the +e!ublic of Mala,i, Excellency $resident %akaya -ik,ete, $resident of the #nited +e!ublic of Tanzania, .our Ma/esties, Excellencies Heads of 'tate and Go(ernment, De!uty $resident Motlanthe and all 0ice $residents !resent, 1ormer $resident Thabo Mbeki and all former Heads of 'tate and Go(ernment, Ministers and all re!resentati(es of go(ernments, The leadershi! of the "2 , '" $, 3'"T# and '"2 3, hair!erson of the "frican #nion and $rime

4eaders of fraternal !olitical organisations and friends of 'outh "frica, +eligious leaders, Traditional leaders, om!atriots and friends, Today marks the end of an extra-ordinary /ourney that began 56 years ago7 8t is the end of 56 glorious years of a freedom fighter, a dedicated and humble ser(ant of the !eo!le of 'outh "frica, a fountain of ,isdom, a !illar of strength and a beacon of ho!e to all those fighting for a /ust and e9uitable ,orld order7 We are truly honoured to be !art of the final /ourney of this great son of our country and the founding $resident of a free and democratic 'outh "frica, 8sith,aland,e 2elson +olihlahla Mandela7 Tata,

8t has been a long !ainful ,eek for us, your !eo!le, since you took your last breath on the 6th of December :;<=7 When you became critically ill last year, ,e ,ere gri!!ed ,ith fear and anxiety7 We did not ,ant to confront the reality of your mortality7 3(er the !ast 5 days of mourning, !eo!le ha(e ex!ressed their grief in (arious ,ays7 What truly stands out, is the s!ectacular dis!lay of admiration by the thousands ,ho descended u!on the #nion &uildings in $retoria to s!end /ust one moment ,ith you, as you lay in state7 "s ,e obser(ed the long, !atient 9ueues lining the streets to the #nion &uildings, some silent, some singing, many crying, ,e asked oursel(es> ,hat is it about this man that elicits this out!ouring of sincere emotion7 The ans,er is that ,hen !eo!le see goodness in a !erson, they res!ond by reflecting goodness back at that !erson, and on their fello, men and ,omen7 We ,ish today, to ex!ress t,o sim!le ,ords7 Thank you7 Thank you for being e(erything ,e ,anted and needed in a leader during a difficult !eriod in our li(es7 Siyabulela, enkosi. Tata, Whilst your long ,alk to freedom has ended in the !hysical sense, our o,n /ourney continues7 We ha(e to continue building the ty!e of society you ,orked tirelessly to construct7 We ha(e to take your legacy for,ard7 8n doing so, ,e ,ill continue dra,ing lessons from your (ery rich and extraordinary life7 We ,ill al,ays remember you as a man of integrity ,ho embodied the (alues and !rinci!les that your organisation, the "2 !romotes7 These are unity, selflessness, sacrifice, collecti(e leadershi!, humility, honesty, disci!line, hard ,ork and mutual res!ect7 We ,ill !romote these (alues and !ractise them, in order to build the ty!e of society you ,anted7 That society is outlined in the ideals you es!oused, the ideals you li(ed for and ,hich you ,ere !re!ared to die for7 These ideals define your organisation the "2 7 .ou summarised them in your timeless statement in court in <5?@7

.ou saidA During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. ut if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die!!. When democracy ,as ushered in on the :Bth of "!ril <55@, you set out to build this ideal society7 .ou acti(ely !romoted the achie(ement of a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and !ros!erous 'outh "frica7 .ou taught us to embrace one another as com!atriots, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or creed7 .ou did this because you hated racism7 8n your first court statement in 3ctober <5?:, ,here you ob/ected to being a black man in a ,hite manCs court, being tried by a ,hite court ,hich ,as enforcing la,s you had had no hand in making, you had also s!oken out strongly against racism7 .ou saidA I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I have fought it all during my life" I fight it now, and will do so until the end of my days!!. We !ledge today to continue !romoting non-racialism and tolerance in our country and to build a 'outh "frica that truly belongs to all7 We also cherish the lessons you taught us, of the im!ortance of reconciliation, forgi(eness and com!assion7 .ou forga(e those ,ho had taken a,ay most of your adult life and ,ho had dehumanised the ma/ority of your com!atriots7 We learned from you, that to build a ne, 'outh "frica from the ashes of a!artheid colonialism, ,e needed to rise abo(e anger and the human desire for retribution7 8n this ,ay, you offered ho!e in the !lace of ho!elessness7 Tata, .ou did not only belie(e in gender e9uality, you !ractised it7

Gender e9uality gained !rominence and seriousness under your !residency, leading to an increase in the numbers of ,omen in !ublic office, es!ecially in !arliament and cabinet7 We dare not re(erse your achie(ements in this regard7 .emyem, "s your /ourney ends today, ours must continue in earnest7 3ne thing ,e can assure you of today Tata, as you take your final ste!s, is that 'outh "frica ,ill continue to rise7 .our abiding re(olutionary s!irit ,ill !re(ail on us to not rest, until the !oor and the ,orking class ha(e truly benefited from the material fruits of freedom and democracy ,hich you fought for7 Therefore, today ,e undertake to take for,ard your !romotion of an im!ro(ed 9uality of life for all7 We commit to ,ork more intensi(ely to deal a decisi(e blo, against the !ersistent !o(erty, unem!loyment and ine9uality7 We !ledge to take your (ision for,ard for good schools and hos!itals, 9uality housing and utilities, decent /obs and ,orking conditions as ,ell as efficient and accountable !ublic ser(ices7 4earning from your goodself, ,e ,ill continue to use education as a ,ea!on to im!ro(e the 9uality of life and bring about change and to in(est in the de(elo!ment of children and the youth7 .ou lo(ed children dearly7 Therefore, in your memory, 'outh "frican children must gro, u! in a country that is not only !olitically free, but ,hich is also free and safe from (iolenceA free and safe from crime, free and safe from !o(erty, ignorance and disease, free and safe from indignity7 That is the ty!e of country ,e are building7 8n doing all this and more, ,e ,ill be able to com!lete this countryCs transformation into the global force for social and economic leadershi! that you belie(ed ,e ,ere ca!able of being7 8ndeed, 'outh "frica ,ill continue to rise because ,e dare not fail you7 The children of the accom!lished strategic thinker and consummate man of action that you ,ere, must succeed and ,ill succeed to build the 'outh "frica of your dreams7 Tata,

"s your trium!hant /ourney comes to an end, ,e sincerely thank you for dedicating your life to building a free and democratic 'outh "frica, in ,hich all shall li(e in e9uality and dignity7 We sincerely thank your family for sharing you ,ith us and the ,orld7 We ackno,ledge the suffering of your o,n children, ,ho had an absent father, and a father ,ho ,as called a dangerous man and a terrorist, by the a!artheid regime and its surrogates7 They are no doubt, truly !roud today, to ha(e been brought to this !lanet by a man so great and yet so humble7 We thank your late former ,ife, Mama E(elyn Mase ,ho raised your children under difficult conditions ,hile you s!ent time in !rison7 We ackno,ledge omrade Winnie Madikizela-Mandela ,ho ke!t your name ali(e and !ro(ided su!!ort and strength throughout the difficult years7 When the "2 ,as banned, she refused to be silenced and carried on the struggle ,ith amazing bra(ery7 'he ,as !ersecuted se(erely for standing by you and for remaining resolute in the !ursuit of a free, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and united 'outh "frica7 We are !roud of the contribution that she has made to the struggle for the liberation of our country as an acti(ist and leader in her o,n name and right7 We thank your dear ,ife, Mama Graca Machel, ,ho has been at your side !ro(iding lo(e, strength, and com!anionshi!7 The !ast year has not been easy for her due to your ill health7 'he ensured your care and comfort, until the final moments7 Gi(en mama GracaCs o,n !assion for childrenCs rights and ,ell-being, the t,o of you made a formidable !air, for the benefit of children7 We ackno,ledge your im!ressi(e grand-children ,ho ha(e matured ,ay beyond their ages, because of the ty!e of family they ha(e been born into7 Many ha(e looked after you o(er the years, !ro(iding su!!ort and lo(e and doing many things that ,ould ha(e made you !roud7 8n many of them, ,e see you7 We thank abaThembu, amaDlomo onke, for being the !illar you needed in undertaking tasks of building this great country7 We extend our dee!-felt condolences to your organisation, the "2 as ,ell as 3'"T#, the '" ommunist $arty and the '" 2ational i(ics 3rganisation for ,hom your de!arture is a monumental loss7

We thank the "2 in !articular for !ro(iding the s!ace for you to lead us to freedom and to influence humanity7 3ur thoughts are ,ith the Eastern a!e $ro(ince and the community of Dunu and surroundings ,ho ha(e lost their famous son7 We extend our condolences to the entire 'outh "frican nation, ,hose !ain ,e share dee!ly, as a Go(ernment ,hose foundation you laid in <55@7 3ur hearts go out to all your friends ,ho ha(e each lost a !art of themsel(es in your !assing7 1rom George &izos to "hmed -athrada, "ndre, Mlangeni and other stal,arts7 We feel their !ain7 When bidding you fare,ell, ,e also remember ho, fortunate ,e ha(e been for our country to ha(e !roduced leaders of your calibre7 Through you, ,e salute 3li(er +egionald Tambo, Walter 'isulu, Go(an Mbeki, Elias Motsoaledi, +aymond Mhlaba, Moses -otane, 'te(en Dlamini, Helen %ose!h, 4illian 2goyi, Dorothy 2yembe and countless others7 We o,e it to them and to countless 'outh "fricans and foreign nationals ,ho died in !ursuit of our freedom, to take your (ision of a better life for all for,ard7 Tata, We ackno,ledge your medical team ,ho ,orked around the clock managing your health7 We thank your !ersonal su!!ort staff from !rotectors to household and administration, all of ,hom are going through a lot of !ain7 .ou ,ere an internationalist, ,hich is ,hy "frica and the ,orld descended on this country to bid your fare,ell7 We ,ill continue to contribute to building a better "frica and a more /ust and e9uitable ,orld order7 We thank "frica and the ,orld again for the solidarity and su!!ort since your !assing7 Madiba, .emyem, We ,ill miss your smile, your laughter, your lo(e and your leadershi!7 We ,ill cherish e(ery moment ,e s!ent ,ith you7 .ou ,ere indeed an extra-ordinary human being7 .ou ,ill remain our guiding light, illuminating the !ath as ,e continue the long /ourney to build the 'outh "frica of your dreams7

We shall not say goodbye, for you are not gone7 .ou ,ill li(e fore(er in our hearts and minds7 #amba kahle $adiba, %emyem, &ondwa, 'gqolomsila, (elambhentsele) 'iyabulela7 8 thank you7

8ssued by The $residency $retoria7