Now the United Nations is seeking to harness its soaring symbolism. “South Africa will be free,” Mandela said during that visit, and indeed, he became the country’s first black president in its first multi-racial elections four years later. The U.N.’s honouring of Mandela, Ebrahim said, again gives South Africans a chance to inspire the world. Monday is also a public holiday in South Africa, Heritage Day, introduced when Mandela was president to celebrate the country’s cultural diversity. According to accounts, Mandela wanted to be seen as a normal human being with both flaws and virtues, and not as an icon or legend.

Source: National Post September 24, 2018 03:56 UTC