Houghton, Johannesburg.
The Mandela Family, Mrs Graca Machel
We offer our condolences and love on the passing of Tata, Madiba, a much loved member of our family and the father of our nation.
He was a father, a leader, strong, honorable and always humble. The list of adjectives describing Tata and the men and women of his era would be endless. We salute and pray for all of those who sacrificed their lives, their families and so much more, for the right of future generations to be born free, born into a democratic inclusive South Africa, as enshrined in our constitution.
We pray that Allah gives your family strength to endure your loss during this difficult time. We pray that the love and support of the people of South Africa brings you solace. We celebrate and rejoice with you, a life well lived. the life of a great, humble and much beloved man. A true dedicated son of Africa, a citizen of the world. his sacrifice, love and sheer bloody mindedness, gave us a gift that all South Africans should cherish and never forget, lessons in strength, forgiveness, patience, perseverance and LOVE, always love.
May his sacrifice and true humanity never be forgotten. The opening verse of the Quran reads as follows:
"In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful. Praise be to Allah the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds, most Gracious, most Merciful. Master of the day of judgement. Thee do we worship and thyne aid do we seek, show us the straight way, the way of those on whom, thou has bestowed thy grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray."
Madiba epitomised these words, he lived the courage of his convictions, faced his accusers with grace and dignity, both he and his compatriots broke the chains that enslaved and dehumanised a nation. He was, and will always remain a PROPHET of his time. Praise be to Allah for gifting the world such a man
Madiba remembered the little things, he made us feel that we were a part of his family, on the passing of our grandfather (Goolam Pahad), together with his beloved Graca, he made the time to visit our home. He shared our grief, reminded us of our rich heritage, and above all encouraged us to be better human beings, to walk that long walk to freedom, side by side, to cast aside our aprons,(in Madiba's words) as my grandmother did (Amina Pahad) and fight for a free, non racial democratic South Africa. This was the man, under whose shadow we cut our struggle teeth; who during his incarceration, became the force behind our fight to bring down Apartheid, and in his presence we were humbled. Today we share your grief and we pray that Allah gives him everlasting peace.
In the words of Sékou Touré, in an address to the Second Congress of Black Artists and Writers in Rome 1959:
"To take part in the African revolution it is not enough to write a revolutionary song; you must fashion the revolution with the people, and if you fashion it with the people, the songs will come by themselves, and of themselves. In order to achieve real action, you must yourself be a living part of Africa and of her thought; you must be an element of that popular energy which is entirely called forth for the freeing, the progress and the happiness of Africa, there is no place outside that fight for the artist or for the intellectual who is not himself concerned with and completely at one with the people in the great battle of Africa and of suffering humanity"
Madiba and those of his era discovered their mission, they fulfilled it, thus realising the dreams, hopes and aspirations of a nation. and those of a continent, and dare I say it, the world.
We salute your true humanity, grace and courage, and pray that as a nation we fulfill our obligations and the mission before us.
With much love and respect
Hamba Kahle Madiba, may you have eternal peace.
Rouhana Pahad
6/12/2013
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