I heard late last night of the
passing of Nelson Mandela, a truly extraordinary human being. And I think
that David Cameron summed it up well when he said that “Nelson Mandela was not
just a hero of our time but a hero of all time” I have visited Robin Island
three times and on the occasion when I took the photograph was present to see
Nelson Mandela receive the Olympic flame. That for me was an iconic day. When he walked out it was immediately obvious his
body was broken and walking was really difficult for him, when he spoke it was
clear his mind was as sharp as ever and you could hear a pin drop. There was a real charisma around him that
I cannot describe other than that it was a very physical feeling and talking to other
people they say the same thing about Bill Clinton.
For me the key thing that made
him a hero was his extraordinary lack of bitterness about what had happened to
him and his desire for reconciliation, somehow against all the odds he managed
to pass this spirit and this message to an entire nation. I don’t believe we
will see the likes of him again in my lifetime.
RIP Nelson Mandela
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