Daily Sun (December 11 2013) - PEOPLE cheered and applauded Thabo Mbeki, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Kgalema Motlanthe . . . But it was not a good day for the president.
SOME OF THE CROWD BOOED AS PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA ARRIVED.
A section of the crowd made sign-change symbols with their hands as Zuma was introduced at the Mandela memorial service held at FNB Stadium in Soweto yesterday.
More booing was heard when his face appeared on the big screens as the anti-Zuma brigade drowned out those cheering for Zuma. By the time Zuma started his speech, thousands had already left.
Programme director, ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, asked mourners to be disciplined in honour of Madiba and after a few minutes pictures of Mandela appeared on the screens in an apparent attempt to silence the crowd.
When Ramaphosa introduced the country's deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe and former president Thabo Mbeki there was loud cheering.
The ANC has condemned the behaviour of people who booed during the memorial service.
"Some among the mourners displayed despicable and unbecoming behaviour by repeatedly heckling President Zuma," said ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu.
Zuma said Mandela was a courageous leader. "Today the world is standing still to celebrate the life of the world's greatest son," he said. "We do not call Madiba the father of our rainbow nation for political correctness. We do so because he laid a firm foundation for the South Africa of our dreams, one that is united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous."
Thousands of people braved bad weather, singing Struggle songs and dancing to pay their respects to Madiba. Mandela's friend and fellow prisoner on Robben Island for many years, Andrew Mlangeni, said Mandela created hope where there was none.
"It should be our collective wisdom and conviction to uphold Mandela's values," he said.
Mandela's grandson Ndaba Mandela and other relatives were there as well. A smiling Desmond Tutu stepped down from a minibus, holding hands with former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari and former UN chief Kofi Annan, accompanied by former US president Jimmy Carter and former Irish president Mary Robinson. British Prime Minister David Cameron, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan, India's President Pranab Mukherjee and Cuban President Raul Castro Ruz were some of the heads of state that attended.
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