Joe_J.
February 11th, 2010, 05:57 PM
Celebrations are being held to mark 20 years since the release from prison of Nelson Mandela, a key step towards ending apartheid in South Africa.
In Cape Town, prominent figures took part in a commemorative walk at the prison where he spent the final months of his 27-year imprisonment.
Mr Mandela, 91, was cheered when he came to parliament to hear a speech by current President Jacob Zuma.
Mr Zuma said South Africa continued to follow its first black leader's vision.
Mr Mandela spent most of his sentence in Robben Island prison, off the coast of Cape Town, and later in Pollsmoor Prison on the mainland.
Before his release, he lived in a cottage in the grounds of Victor Verster prison in a rural area some 50km (31 miles) from Cape Town, with his own cook. [wtf?]
'Gratitude'
Thursday's re-enactment walk went through the gates of Victor Verster prison, now known as Drakenstein prison, where a statue of Mr Mandela stands with its hand upraised.
Mr Zuma told MPs and other dignitaries that it was a "day to celebrate a watershed moment" which had changed South Africa.
Mr Mandela, he said, had united the country behind the goal of a non-sexist, non-racist, prosperous society.
Recognising his country's current economic problems, he said that the government had met, nearly in its entirety, its promise last year to create jobs through public works.
"Economic indicators suggest that we are now turning the corner," he said. "Economic activity is rising in South Africa, and we expect growth going forward."
He said the size of the police force would be increased by 10% in the next three years to help fight crime, and added that everything was in place to host a successful 2010 football World Cup.
"We have spent many years planning for this World Cup," he said. "We have only three months to go and we are determined to make a success of it."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8509785.stm
In Cape Town, prominent figures took part in a commemorative walk at the prison where he spent the final months of his 27-year imprisonment.
Mr Mandela, 91, was cheered when he came to parliament to hear a speech by current President Jacob Zuma.
Mr Zuma said South Africa continued to follow its first black leader's vision.
Mr Mandela spent most of his sentence in Robben Island prison, off the coast of Cape Town, and later in Pollsmoor Prison on the mainland.
Before his release, he lived in a cottage in the grounds of Victor Verster prison in a rural area some 50km (31 miles) from Cape Town, with his own cook. [wtf?]
'Gratitude'
Thursday's re-enactment walk went through the gates of Victor Verster prison, now known as Drakenstein prison, where a statue of Mr Mandela stands with its hand upraised.
Mr Zuma told MPs and other dignitaries that it was a "day to celebrate a watershed moment" which had changed South Africa.
Mr Mandela, he said, had united the country behind the goal of a non-sexist, non-racist, prosperous society.
Recognising his country's current economic problems, he said that the government had met, nearly in its entirety, its promise last year to create jobs through public works.
"Economic indicators suggest that we are now turning the corner," he said. "Economic activity is rising in South Africa, and we expect growth going forward."
He said the size of the police force would be increased by 10% in the next three years to help fight crime, and added that everything was in place to host a successful 2010 football World Cup.
"We have spent many years planning for this World Cup," he said. "We have only three months to go and we are determined to make a success of it."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8509785.stm