Johannesburg - Former president Nelson Mandela was one of a kind, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff told tens of thousands of people at his memorial at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Tuesday.
“We must pay homage to this unmatched example of humanism,” Rousseff, dressed in a cream outfit, said through an interpreter.
She described some of his characteristics as his “stoic form and patience, enlightened determination and strength”.
She said Brazilian people felt close ties to South Africa.
“Like the South Africans who mourn with their chants, we the Brazilian nation proudly carry African blood in our veins and we too mourn.
“The Brazilian government and people bow down to the memory of Nelson Mandela.”
Describing Mandela as “the most outstanding personality of the 20th century”, Rousseff said his fight “became a paradigm not just for this continent, but for all who fight for justice, freedom, and equality”.
Sapa