Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)

News just in that Nelson Mandela's death was announced at 10 pm last night, South African time.

Here, by way of tribute, is the piece I wrote on our visit to Robben Island in July and posted on Reading for Australia on Monday:  Prisoner 44664:  Master of his fate, Captain of his soul.  Former Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser has also written a tribute in today's Canberra Times, Nelson Mandela: 'by far the greatest man'.

Children's version of Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom, abridged by Chris van Wyk (2010, Pan McMillan)

There is much to remember and honour about Mr Mandela.  I leave you with this quote from his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom:

“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

(1995, Back Bay Books, first published in 1994 by Little Brown and Co)