Well-wishers flock to Mandela home

Messages of support to the Former President Nelson Mandela at Medi-Clinic in Pretoria.02/07/2013

Messages of support to the Former President Nelson Mandela at Medi-Clinic in Pretoria.02/07/2013

Published Jul 2, 2013

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Johannesburg - Well-wishers of all ages continued to flock to former president Nelson Mandela's Johannesburg home in Houghton to wish him well on Tuesday.

Domestic worker Patricia Msimanga and her employer Linda Shein walked hand-in-hand to put a bouquet of flowers next to the others that had been left in front of the gate.

Msimanga stayed a while longer and said a prayer for Mandela, who was admitted to a Pretoria hospital on June 8 with a recurring lung infection.

“I was praying for him to get well, we need him. He is our father, he is the father of the nation,” Msimanga said.

“I feel sad. I wish God can hear our voices.”

Cars were parked in the street in front of the house and around the corner as people stopped to leave flowers, cards, and stones with well-wishes written on them.

“Look, it's all pretty,” a small boy said pointing at hand-made cards with Mandela's face and South African flags on them.

Another girl, running past, shouted: “We all love Madiba.”

George Chauke's car had over 177 South African flags and stickers on and inside it. He said he started putting them on in 2010 for the Soccer World Cup and had not stopped.

“My family sent me here to pray for tata Madiba for a speedy recovery. We love him and we are going to miss him,” he said.

On one of the trees, closest to the house, was a South African flag with two prints of Mandela's face.

Cards and banners read: “In our hearts and minds; get well soon Madiba”, “Freedom”, “We wish you get better tata” and “Our thoughts are with you Mandela”.

Many people driving by stopped to take pictures outside the house.

On Monday, the presidency said the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate was still in a critical, but stable condition.

“We remind all South Africans to begin planning for Madiba's birthday on 18 July,” President Jacob Zuma said in a statement.

“We must all be able to do something good for humanity on this day, in tribute to our former president.”

Zuma thanked everyone who had kept Mandela and his family in their thoughts and prayers.

The activity outside the ailing anti-apartheid icon's home had quietened down in the past week, with the media contingent also decreasing. - Sapa

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