TT: Honoring Mandela

The man deserves it. Nelson Mandela not only endured the horrors of apartheid and Robben Island, but once freed and elected president of South Africa, Mandela had the wisdom not to remain president for life. In spite of his socialist-communist leanings, TT is right to roll out the red carpet for Mandela's visit.

THE RED carpet will be rolled out and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has rented a limousine for former South African president Nelson Mandela, who will be paying a short visit to Tobago today. As he took the luxury vehicle for a test drive outside his Calder Hall office on Thursday following the weekly post Executive Council media briefing, THA Chief Secretary Orville London declared that nothing was too extravagant for the legendary ex-President.

"The man has matched the legend. A legend walked out of that prison but we were not certain that the man, Nelson Mandela, would have matched that legend, that perception we had of him. I think Mr Mandela has been able to live up to all the massive expectations we had of him and he has conducted himself with dignity, grace and moreso with courage. I think that it is that aspect of his life that should be an example to all of us." London said so far no changes have been made to the Tobago segment of Mandela's visit, although the THA took the precaution of arranging a flexible programme.

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The freedom fighter, whose lifelong commitment it was to see the people of South Africa free, addressed the crowd at the Queen's Park Oval yesterday for a short moment and asked for this country's support for South Africa's bid to host the 2010 World Cup and to let us know that South Africa loves us.

Mandela was accompanied by a compatriot who, like he, had been imprisoned for his stand against the regime for a shorter term of 15 years.

The Oval came alive, when thousands of school-children, teachers, parents, local headline entertainment acts, government officials and other well-wishers came to see the living legend. Waving miniature national flags of both Trinidad and Tobago and South Africa, thousands of children could barely contain their excitement.

The celebration was opened by master of ceremonies Wendell Constantine, who after his rendition of the National Anthem, got school-children on their feet, cheering loudly in anticipation of the first act on the cultural programme.

In a country in which students read literature that elevates the value of moral courage, Nelson Mandela is rightly seen as a modern-day Thomas More.