Johannesburg - It was meant to be Mandela’s “Get Well Tata Madiba - We love you!!” prayer session. But Rev Vukile Mehana suddenly also prayed for unity within the old man’s family.
Mehana - the ANC’s chaplain-general - was the only person who made a brief remark about the ongoing spat within the Mandela family. The ANC’s senior leaders avoided it.
All of this happened outside the ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters when hundreds of people, young and old, gathered in President Street, central Joburg, to pray for Mandela’s quick recovery following his admission to a Pretoria hospital on June 8.
They danced and sang to poet Mzwakhe Mbuli’s lyrics and other songs in praise of Mandela, ANC veterans Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu, and other icons who took part in the anti-apartheid Struggle.
Over the years, Mbuli’s songs and poetry agitated the people to take up arms and fight against apartheid - but on Tuesday, the tunes were different; they were solemn, but still full of praise for ANC leaders, particularly Mandela, Sisulu and Tambo.
Even those who didn’t understand the lyrics danced to the music.
All those who attended the prayer session appealed to God to spare Mandela’s life.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe was very polite in his appeal, saying Abraham died aged 195 - and he said he hoped for the same for Madiba.
“We know we do not live forever, but we are asking God to spare him much longer,” Mantashe said.
ANC national chairwoman Baleka Mbete said the prayer service was an expression “of how much we are at peace to have our icon in our midst. We want him to remain with us forever. He is the unifier of the people of South Africa and the world”.
She added: “This is the moment not only for the ANC, but for the rest of humanity.
“We hope that God will retain him among us.”
Mbete asked young people to learn from Mandela’s teachings, saying his rural background had not discouraged him from fighting for the improvement of the lives of the people of his country and the world.
“We thank God for Nelson Mandela,” she said.
The Star