News – Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory

Reflections on dialogue with Syrian student delegation

Lessons learnt by young essay writers inspire staff too

18 February 2008 | Category: Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory

Feb 18, 2008 – On February 15, the Nelson Mandela Foundation hosted a student delegation from Syria and engaged with them in dialogue about the Foundation.

The four students, who won a trip to South Africa after submitting winning essays on Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom, learnt more about the Foundation and were given time to ask questions about its work.

Engaging in dialogue with visitors to the Nelson Mandela Foundation is a priority for staff. Here, staff and the students reflect on the visit.

Syrian students visit Foundation

Essays on Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom win trip prize in university competition

15 February 2008 | Category: Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory

Feb 15, 2008 – A group of Syrian students visited the Nelson Mandela Foundation today as part of a trip to South Africa that they won in an essay competition.

The competition was organised by the Syrian Ministry of Education, the South African Embassy in Damascus and the National Union of Syrian Students. It was open to all students at the University of Damascus.

Mandela’s early days in Johannesburg

Photo found in banned book brings an old story to life

1 February 2008 | Category: Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory

Jan 31, 2008 – Mr Nelson Mandela has identified the person in a picture found by chance – recalling a tale of a hidden gun.

On pages 77 and 78 of Long Walk to Freedom (Abacus, London, 1994) Mr Mandela recounts this story:

“I prevailed upon a fellow named Bikitsha, whom I knew from home, to help me carry the suitcase to the front gate [of Crown Mines]. A watchman at the gate stopped us both and said he needed to search the bag. Bikitsha protested, asserting that there was no contraband in the suitcase …

Trip to Tanzania yields useful records

Foundation archivist went in search of material from Mr Mandela’s 1962 visit

15 January 2008 | Category: Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory

Jan 15, 2008 – Ms Zanele Riba, an archivist at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, travelled to Tanzania in late 2007 to look for material on Mr Nelson Mandela in that country.

Best wishes for 2008

Madiba to turn 90 in 2008

31 December 2007 | Category: Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory

Dec 31, 2007 – Mr Nelson Mandela, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation Mr Achmat Dangor, and all the Foundation’s staff wish our website visitors, donors, service providers and friends and partners of the Foundation a happy and fruitful New Year.

May 2008 – the year in which Madiba will turn 90 – bring increased peace and respect for human rights and dignity the world over.

Several identities in college photograph revealed

Three Healdtown teachers and two of Mr Mandela’s fellow students identified

24 December 2007 | Category: Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory

Dec 21, 2007 – The Nelson Mandela Foundation has learnt the identities of some of the people in a photograph of Mr Nelson Mandela taken during his days as a student.

Unity in divisions

A new film tells the story of how Robben Island prisoners ran a football league

10 December 2007 | Category: Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory

Dec 13, 2007 – Football on Robben Island was not just a way of passing jail time. It was an exercise in discipline, teamwork and resistance.

‘It’s in our hands’ - Middelburg youth highlight HIV/AIDS issues

46664 Peer-To-Peer Community Dialogue Programme engages youth in small towns across South Africa

1 December 2007 | Category: Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, Dialogue for Justice

Dec 1, 2007 – It’s 1pm and about 30°C in Mhluzi, a township just outside the coal-mining town of Middelburg in Mpumalanga, South Africa. People melt into St Peter’s Lutheran Church, ushered in by the loudhailers of the local police announcing an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in the area as well as by promotional inserts on the local radio station, Greater Middelburg FM (GMFM). The Middelburg event is the third event in a series of community dialogues funded by the Nelson Mandela Foundation leading up to the 46664 concert on December 1, World AIDS Day.

Racist rumours should be ignored

A hoax designed to undermine the bedrock of non-racism

27 November 2007 | Category: Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory

Nov 27, 2007 – The Nelson Mandela Foundation continues to receive inquiries from people concerned about rumours claiming that there is a plan to kill white people in South Africa after Mr Nelson Mandela passes on. Some of the inquiries are motivated by genuine concern. Others border on the manipulative.

‘Deepest fear’ quote not Mr Mandela’s

US author Ms Marianne Williamson’s words often wrongly attributed

9 November 2007 | Category: Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, Dialogue for Justice

Nov 9, 2007 – Mr Nelson Mandela is an often quoted individual; his inspirational words are often referred to in numerous publications, television and radio broadcasts, and online. However, a quote commonly attributed to Mr Mandela was in fact never uttered by him.