“Pangea Guides salutes Nelson Mandela – the symbol of freedom and peace!
With the funeral of Nelson Mandela scheduled on 15th December, Pangea Guides presents the Nelson Mandela Funeral app to help visitors flying to Cape Town for the funeral. Free of advertisements and in-app purchases, this app gives all utilities within the app for free. It also presents detailed information for about 15 places in Cape Town and Johannesburg that had significance in Mandela’s life.”
After a long period of being away from the public eye and coming a long way since being the prisoner number 46664 for his struggle for equality and freedom, the world woke up on Friday without one of its greatest sons. A man who stood for his morals and spent 27 years in prison for his belief, in a hope to fight and end racism against his people; a man who became a symbol for peace, an enduring icon and one of the most legendary liberation leaders who led his people towards a democratic and free society with harmony and equal opportunities; a man who emerged victorious without the feared bloodshed and was prepared to die for his ideals and his people - the man was none other than Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
Given that his forename Rolihlahla, a Xhosa term colloquially translates as ‘troublemaker’, he stood true to it. Much has been written and talked about Mandela’s life and his iconic speeches but there hasn’t been quite much about his optimism, determination and his strong activist character. Mandela’s picture when released from prison on February 11, 1990 sums him up as an extraordinary being, who devoted his life to the ‘concern of truth’. That serious determination in his eyes, the infectious grin, the sense of relief yet unbroken hope and the tight closed fist symbolizing his everlasting fight towards the cause just goes on to show his leadership and undying spirit.
Mandela was idolized. He was an image of freedom. After spending 20 years of his life devoted to sleeping on straw mats and breaking rocks into gravel in a lime quarry without any protective gear to shield his eyesight, Mandela seemed to have lost his ability to shed tears. But the sheer sparkle in his eyes seemed to have only augmented with the insistence to forgive yet the persistence to ring a revolution levitated. He not just symbolized hope but also the possibility of healing.
Much has been written about the man’s legacy and the huge list of honors showered upon him, which is quite unusual for a man branded as a ‘terrorist’ and a ‘revolutionary’ but his stance for peace and equality made all these awards small deeds for the most humble politician ever. Back in those days, everyone idolized Mandela and hung his photographs on their room walls. They carried his message in their hearts and stood for him. They marched, held demonstrations, staged boycotts and signed petitions. They refused to let their man’s sacrifice go into vain. The day when Mandela was released make for one of the most iconic images of the world history. Thousands of his followers gathered to get his glimpse after nearly a quarter of a century and millions waited with baited breath to catch a sight as the world’s most celebrated political prisoner was about to set free.
Nelson Mandela wasn’t just a being but he was a story in itself - a story of transformation. His story was Africa’s story. He was a visual documentation of change and determination. He was transformed and determined after his imprisonment. Africa was. We all were. He’s a Hero, everywhere, right up there. The world is indebted to Nelson Mandela.
