Former president Nelson Mandela. Picture: SUNDAY WORLD
Former president Nelson Mandela. Picture: SUNDAY WORLD

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WHILE Africans paid their tributes to former South African president Nelson Mandela, some commentators noted the lack of convincing Mandela disciples among the continent’s current crop of leaders.

"He was like water, when it is spilled, there is no more."

With those few words, Maputo resident Jorge Atar captured the essence of Mandela’s passing. The great and the good also did their best to convey what exactly had disappeared when Madiba died on Thursday night aged 95, but Mr Atar’s synthesis was hard to better.

"He is a hero of Africa. We will never have another like him," he added.

The sentiment was shared around Africa, and the world.

In his 1986 album titled Nelson Mandela, Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour released one of the catchiest hit songs about the man who narrowly avoided the gallows and became democratic South Africa’s first president in 1994.

"I wept, because he is my hero. He is someone who is very important for all humanity but particularly for we Africans," Mr N’Dour told French radio.

African presidents paid their tributes to Mandela, many of them from Paris, where they gathered at a special summit whose key focus was the worsening violence in the Central Africa Republic.

Achille Mbembe, a Cameroonian writer based at the University of the Witwatersrand, said Madiba had put South Africa "on the road to healing".

"But his is not an example that is widely followed and ’specially not in Africa."

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan was quick off the mark, saying early on Friday morning: "He will be eternally honoured for his immense contribution to the dismantling of the apartheid policy, one of the world’s most obnoxious systems whose underpinning philosophy was the degradation of man by man."

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza said Madiba would live in the hearts of people wanting justice, peace and unity.

In depth: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela 1918- 2013

MandelaNews and views on the death, and life, of former president Nelson Mandela, with tributes and photographs

"Many in the outside world benefited from his advice even after he left the presidency in South Africa…. At this moment of grief and mourning we extend to our brother, Jacob Zuma, and to the Mandela family our most heartfelt condolences," Mr Guebuza said.

From African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, the deputy chairperson of the AU Commission, Erastus Mwencha, said Mandela was raised in a society that had defiled his humanity and dignity, caged his freedom and relegated him to a lesser state of living.

"However, in those circumstances, Mandela thrived. Madiba created opportunities for himself where many could see none," he said.

By Friday evening, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe had made no public statement but his Zanu (PF) party spokesman, Rugare Gumbo, said the party was saddened.

"He is a man who was interested in seeing the people of South Africa and Southern Africa liberated," Mr Gumbo said.

In Harare, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s tribute was more passionate, calling Mandela "one of the greatest liberation fighters".

Mr Tsvangirai quoted Mr Mandela telling him once that "Zimbabwe had taken a wrong turn and that President Robert Mugabe had led the nation to the brink of political and economic turmoil and that he would personally do all he could to persuade the Zimbabwean leadership to see sense". Mr Tsvangirai gave no date or venue for the meeting.

The African Union Commission plans to hold a memorial service for Mandela this Sunday.

The service will take place at its headquarters, a book of condolences will be opened and the AU’s flags will be flown at half mast out of respect, the secretariat said on Friday.

With Jinty Jackson in Maputo, Ray Ndlovu and Tawanda Karombo in Harare, and Paul Vecchiatto in Cape Town