SPEECH BY AHMED KATHRADA AT THE OFFICIAL BURIAL CEREMONY OF FORMER PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA IN QUNU (EASTERN CAPE), 15 DECEMBER

2013 Mr President Mrs Graca Machel and the Mandela Family Mrs. Winnie Mandela Honourable Dignitaries Struggle Heroes and Heroines The People of our Country The last time sa! Madiba ali"e !as !hen "isited him in hospital.

!as filled !ith an o"er!helming mi#ture of sadness$ emotion and pride. He tightly held my hand until the end of my brief "isit. t !as profoundly heartbrea%ing. t brought me to the "erge of tears !hen my thoughts automatically flashed bac% to the picture of the man gre! up under. Ho! !ished &d ne"er had to confront the reality of !hat sa!. first met Madiba in '()*+ that&s *, years ago. recalled the tall$ healthy and strong man+ the bo#er+ the prisoner !ho easily !ielded the pic% and sho"el at the lime -uarry on .obben sland. "isuali/ed the prisoner that "igorously e#ercised e"ery morning before !e !ere unloc%ed. What sa! at his home after his spell in hospital !as this giant of a man$ helpless and reduced to a shado! of his former self.

0nd no! the ine"itable has happened. He has left us and is no! !ith the 1A Team2 of the 03C 4 the 03C in !hich he cut his political teeth+ and the 03C for !hose policy of a non4racial$ non4se#ist$ democratic and prosperous South 0frica he !as prepared to die. He has 5oined the 1A Team2 of his close comrades6 Chief 7uthuli Walter Sisulu 8li"er Tambo Dr 9usuf Dadoo :ac% Simons Moses ;otane <ram Fischer Dr Monty 3aic%er : < Mar%s Helen :oseph .uth First Professor = ; Matthe!s <eyers 3aude :oe Slo"o 7ilian 3goyi Ma Sisulu and Michael Harmel.

n addition to the 03C&s 1A Team2$ Madiba has also 5oined men and !omen outside the 03C 4 Helen Su/man$ Ste"e <i%o$ 0lan Paton$ .obert Sobu%!e$ Cissie Gool$ <ennie ;ies$ 3e"ille 0le#ander$ =eph Mothopeng and many other leaders. We are a country that has been blessed by many great and remar%able men and !omen$ all of !hom played a critical part in this grand struggle for freedom and dignity. We ha"e been blessed by the contributions of many different mo"ements and formations$ both inside and outside the country$ each ma%ing an indelible imprint on our history. We ha"e been blessed by a struggle that acti"ely in"ol"ed the masses of the people in their o!n liberation. We ha"e been blessed that under the collecti"e leadership of the 03C$ !e can proudly proclaiming that 1South 0frica belongs to all !ho li"e in it$ blac% and !hite2. We !ere mightily$ and une#pectedly$ blessed !hen the old$ oppressi"e$ undemocratic order succumbed and bo!ed to the ine"itable. 0nd then finally$ !e !ere truly blessed by the far4sighted !isdom of our collecti"e leadership 4 !ith Madiba at the helm 4 that too% us into a democratic future. For all of this and much more$ !e are deeply grateful. We are fortunate that today !e li"e in a noisy and li"ely democracy. We are eternally grateful that dignity has been restored to all South 0fricans. We are fore"er grateful that the li"es of many are impro"ing$ although not
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enough yet. We are deeply grateful for a Constitution that encompasses all that is good in us and a constitutional order that protects our hard4!on freedom. Finally$ !e are infinitely grateful that each and e"ery one of us$ !hether !e are 0frican$ White$ Coloured or ndian$ can proudly call oursel"es South 0fricans. Mindful of our gains$ !e ne"ertheless %no! that a long$ long road lies ahead$ !ith many t!ists and turns$ sometimes through difficult and trying times. Po"erty$ ill4health and hunger still stal% our land. Greed and a"arice sho! their ugly faces. >enophobia and intolerance play their mischief in our beautiful land. Parts of the !orld out there find themsel"es in unhappy situations+ economies falter and stagger+ e#tremism and fundamentalism of all %inds are rampant+ the earth reels from climate change$ and the poor battle to sur"i"e. Ferocious struggles for democracy unfold daily before our "ery eyes and the numbers of political prisoners gro! in step !ith rising intolerance. For instance$ !e thin% of the Palestinian Mar!an <arghouti$ !ho is languishing in an sraeli prison. 0ll of these people and prisoners throughout the !orld !ill continue to dra! inspiration from the life and legacy of Mandela. 0nd finally Mr. President$ !ish to address myself directly to Madala$ as !e called each other. What do !e say to you in these$ the last final moments together$ before you e#it the public stage fore"er?

Madala$ your abundant reser"es of lo"e$ simplicity$ honesty$ ser"ice$ humility$ care$ courage$ foresight$ patience$ tolerance$ e-uality and 5ustice$ continually ser"ed as a source of enormous strength to many millions of people in South 0frica and the !orld. 9ou symboli/e today$ and al!ays !ill$ -ualities of collecti"e leadership$ reconciliation$ unity and forgi"eness. 9ou stro"e daily to build a united$ non4racial$ non4se#ist and democratic South 0frica. n this spirit$ so e#emplified in your life$ it is up to the present and ne#t generations to ta%e up the cudgels !here you ha"e left off. t is up to them$ through ser"ice to deepen our democracy+ entrench and defend our Constitution+ eradicate po"erty+ eliminate ine-uality+ fight corruption$ and ser"e al!ays !ith compassion$ respect$ integrity and tolerance. 0bo"e all$ they must build our nation and brea% do!n the barriers that still di"ide us. >enophobia$ racism and se#ism must be fought !ith tenacity$ !isdom and enlightenment. 0nything that defines someone else as @the other&$ has to go. Tolerance and understanding must flourish and gro!. n all these actions !e are and !ill be guided by your !isdom and deeds. Today$ mingled !ith our grief is the enormous pride that one of our o!n has during your life$ and no! in your death$ united the people of South 0frica and the entire !orld on a scale ne"er e#perienced before in history. .emar%ably$ in these last fe! days$ the masses of our people$ from !hate"er !al% of life$ ha"e demonstrated ho! "ery connected they feel to you+ ho! the story of your life is their story and ho! their story is your
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story. Madala$ you captured this relationship beautifully on the occasion of Walter Sisulu&s death$ !hen you said6 W !"#$ % &" '() (* +,-,./, #.% &" 0#,.1 T(/ &" $ 2 !"#$ % ,% #!, *($/ % 3(44(. 3(44,&4 .&!1 W 2#+5 % !,% 6) !,% &"$(7/" &" -#++ ) (* % #&", .7$!,./ #3" (&" $8! 6$7,! !, "(+%,./ #3" (&" $ 70 2" . (7$ !& 0! *#+& $ %1 T(/ &" $ 2 !#-(7$ % &" &#!& (* *$ %(49: To Mrs. Graca Machel and the Mandela family$ our lo"e$ respect and support go out to you. We !ish there !as a !ay that !e could ease your grief and pain. These last fe! months$ ha"e been particularly hard$ and !e trust that in the ensuing !ee%s you !ill be able to find the rest and peace you need so much. We mourn !ith you and !ish you strength in this time of need. Madala$ !hile !e may be dro!ned in sorro! and grief$ !e salute you as a fighter for freedom to the end. Fare!ell my elder brother$ my mentor$ my leader. With all the energy and determination at our command$ !e pledge to 5oin the people of South 0frica and the !orld to perpetuate the ideals and "alues for !hich you ha"e de"oted your life.
Hamba Kahle, Madala! Hamba Kahle, my dearest friend!