Mayor bars DA from Mandela prayers

Published Jun 28, 2013

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Patrick Hlahla, Lali van Zuydam, Valeska Abreu and SAPA

Pretoria - As the nation heeded President Jacob Zuma’s call and banded together in prayer for Nelson Mandela, Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa banished the DA from the city’s prayer session on Thursday, saying the party was not “part of the effort to construct a better South Africa’’.

Ramokgopa invited the Azanian People’s Organisation, the African People’s Convention and the PAC to join the ANC, but left out the DA and the Freedom Front Plus. While Ramokgopa was more critical of the DA, he did not say much about the FF+.

He has previously criticised the DA for its opposition to a number of council initiatives, including its decision to go on the bond market, and its decision to vote against the council’s budget for the 2014/15 financial year. “They have indicated that they are not part of the effort to construct a better South Africa,” he said.

Ramokgopa said the DA had previously indicated its unwillingness to support council initiatives.

The DA chief whip in the council, Marietta Aucamp, told council Speaker Morakane Mosupye-Letsholo that they would not respond to Ramokgopa’s decision to snub the DA “at this stage”.

At Thursday night’s inter-faith prayer session for Mandela held by the ANC at the Pretoria Art Museum, Ramokgopa told the hundreds who had gathered: “We want to demonstrate our unflinching support for both president Nelson Mandela and his family during this difficult time.”

The words “Nelson Mandela, there’s no one like him” reverberated across the museum’s lawns as supporters gathered and sang pro-Mandela songs before religious leaders led them in prayer at the venue, a few blocks from the Mediclinic Heart Hospital, where Madiba remains critically ill.

Ramokgopa and ANC Gauteng deputy chairwoman Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, also a former mayor of the city, addressed the crowd.

He said people were gathered in support of Mandela to show they were grateful for the role he had played in uniting the nation.

Gwen Ramokgopa said the prayers were to ensure Mandela was pain-free and comfortable.

“He is the one that advised us that after a great hill that you have climbed you find that there is another hill to climb. So as he’s trying to climb that hill of conquering his illness he needs all of us to be with him at this moment,” she said.

The party also held prayers in various other areas, including outside Mandela’s house in Vilakazi Street in Orlando West, Soweto.

Prayers were also said in the street outside the hospital on Thursday as individuals, church groups and even those in créches bowed their heads. Among them were members of The Salvation Army.

“This is a struggle of an old man who left a mark for the country; we say to him that God loves him. Lift up your head and look up to God and don’t lose hope,” said Salvation Army leader William Langa.

On Thursday night, hundreds of ANC members also gathered outside the hospital in support of Mandela.

The scores of buses contributed to traffic in Arcadia backing up for hours after sunset.

Dimakatso Maimane, of the ANC Women’s League in Atteridgeville, said: “We are here to wish our leader a speedy recovery. He is almost in his last days and we just want to wish him all the best.”

Members were dressed in bright yellow ANC shirts and blankets, chanting: “Amandla! Awethu!”

Portia Mugwedi, of Limpopo, brought her nine-year-old son, Blessing, so he could be a part of history. “One day they will learn about this in school and he will be able to say he was there,” she said.

Aadam Karjieker, nine, arrived at 8pm from Joburg, to bring a card addressed to Madiba. “You are forever in our prayers,” it read.

Daniel Masiko travelled from Kampala in Uganda more than a week ago to show his support for Mandela. He struggled to find the hospital for days but arrived on Thursday afternoon and does not plan to go anywhere. He played recordings of Mandela’s speeches on his phone that he has saved for years to the Pretoria News.

Masiko said he would stay in South Africa and visit the hospital until Mandela was well again.

“But only God knows what will happen,” he said.

Glenda Claasen arrived with her granddaughters, Chanelle Claasen and Berenice Elias, from Dordrecht in the Eastern Cape, especially to visit the hospital. They wanted to sing “Oh how he loves you and me” for Mandela, because elders in their family were also in exile, so they understood the Struggle

.

Pretoria News

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