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Excerpt published with permission from NB Publishers.
About the book:
Meeting Mandela changed Melanie Verwoerd's life dramatically.
As someone who loved and admired him hugely, people kept approaching her after his death with stories of how he had touched their own lives.
As her personal tribute to Madiba, Melanie started collecting these anecdotes and asked those who had stories of meetings with Mandela to send these to her.
The result is a rich mix of glimpses into Mandelas’ soul. From ordinary people like Mandela’s housekeeper and the boy he met in a hotel lift, to the girl whose birthday he shared.
Mandela left a lasting impression on all who met him.
These sometimes astonishing, always inspirational stories reveal aspects of his personality, from humility to humour, and will inspire readers.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Nelson Mandela Childrens Hospital.
Excerpt follows below.
Melanie Verwoerd’s contribution
Shortly after the 1994 elections, I received a call from Madiba’s private secretary, who explained that President Mandela was hosting representatives of thirty conservative Afrikaner women’s organisations for tea the next morning in Pretoria. He wanted me to accompany him the next morning.
Of course I was delighted, albeit slightly apprehensive.
Early the next morning I arrived at the military airbase on the outskirts of Cape Town. I was shown to a waiting room and a few minutes later Madiba arrived, flanked by two bodyguards.
Madiba knew all the staff by name and took time to greet them and ask after their families. After he gave me a big hug, we started to make our way in the dark to the small presidential jet across the tarmac.
Madiba suddenly spotted a man sweeping the grounds in the distance. He insisted that the worker be brought over, so he could greet him. “This always happens,” one of the bodyguards next to me said with a groan. “It takes us forever to get anywhere!”
As soon as we were in the air, the bodyguards fell asleep, but Madiba was bright-eyed and wanted to chat. He also wanted to practise his speech for the morning – which was in Afrikaans – on me.
He read it a few times, pausing when he needed help with the Afrikaans pronunciation. I told him how touched I was by the effort he was making.
“Language is important when it comes to reconciliation,” he conceded.
“You know, my only problem is that with my hearing being so bad, I struggle to hear Afrikaans. So please stay close to me, to help me if I need translation.”
At the official residence, Madiba went to his office for a few minutes and I was shown into the room by Madiba’s housekeeper, Jacques Human.
“Ladies, can I get your attention please,” said Jacques in Afrikaans. “I would like to introduce you to Melanie Verwoerd.
She is a member of parliament accompanying President Mandela today. She is of course from”– he paused for dramatic effect – ‘the anc.”
It felt like hundreds of blue-eye-shadowed eyes had turned to me with cold hatred. “Good luck!” Jacques whispered, and made a hasty escape.
There was a few seconds’ silence before the women resumed their conversations, ignoring me. Then one woman, who was clearly the leader of the group, called them all to order.
“Ladies,” she said sternly, “before Mandela arrives, I want us to agree on a few house rules. We have to remember that we are here to make a point, to send a message. So can we remind ourselves that we will only speak Afrikaans today.
Even if we are asked to speak English, or Mandela speaks English, we will stick to Afrikaans.” There were loud cheers of support, and the leader triumphantly pulled her jacket into place.
Thinking of Mandela practising his speech on the early-morning flight, I felt an anger rising in me.
However, before I could say anything, I spotted Madiba through the window on his way to the room.
I slipped out a side door and rushed over to warn him about their intentions. Madiba nodded, and then said: “Leave it to me. Just stay close if I need you.”
I followed him as he walked into the room to greet the women who had lined up.
“Aaa, goeie môre! Dis so ’n eer om u te ontmoet” (Aaah, good morning! It is an honour to meet you), he said to the first one.
She froze slightly, and then went blood red.
“I am so, so honoured to meet you, Mr President. So honoured!” she blurted out in English.
The next one burst into tears. “I am so sorry what my people did to you,” she cried while Madiba hugged her.
The third woman spoke to him in Zulu!
Out of the corner of my eye I spotted the leader, who had a furious expression on her face.
As Madiba invited the women to tea on the stoep, he caught my eye and winked. What a master he is at these occasions, I thought.
The rest of the morning was further proof of this.
His speech went down a treat, and during question time he told the most emotional stories of his time in jail. He had all the women in tears, and even though he spoke mainly Afrikaans, they all spoke English.
At the end of the meeting, they gave him various gifts, including koeksisters, an Afrikaans Bible, some Afrikaans music, and photo frames for the photos of his grandchildren.
It was a hugely successful morning, and in the end, through Mandela’s actions, the only point that was made was his enormous capacity to turn the most hardened opponents into admirers.
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Visit Kalahari.com to purchase a copy of Our Madiba.
Sign up for Women24 book club newsletter and stand a chance to win our top ten books from kalahari.com.
About the book:
Meeting Mandela changed Melanie Verwoerd's life dramatically.
As someone who loved and admired him hugely, people kept approaching her after his death with stories of how he had touched their own lives.
As her personal tribute to Madiba, Melanie started collecting these anecdotes and asked those who had stories of meetings with Mandela to send these to her.
The result is a rich mix of glimpses into Mandelas’ soul. From ordinary people like Mandela’s housekeeper and the boy he met in a hotel lift, to the girl whose birthday he shared.
Mandela left a lasting impression on all who met him.
These sometimes astonishing, always inspirational stories reveal aspects of his personality, from humility to humour, and will inspire readers.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Nelson Mandela Childrens Hospital.
Excerpt follows below.
Melanie Verwoerd’s contribution
Shortly after the 1994 elections, I received a call from Madiba’s private secretary, who explained that President Mandela was hosting representatives of thirty conservative Afrikaner women’s organisations for tea the next morning in Pretoria. He wanted me to accompany him the next morning.
Of course I was delighted, albeit slightly apprehensive.
Early the next morning I arrived at the military airbase on the outskirts of Cape Town. I was shown to a waiting room and a few minutes later Madiba arrived, flanked by two bodyguards.
Madiba knew all the staff by name and took time to greet them and ask after their families. After he gave me a big hug, we started to make our way in the dark to the small presidential jet across the tarmac.
Madiba suddenly spotted a man sweeping the grounds in the distance. He insisted that the worker be brought over, so he could greet him. “This always happens,” one of the bodyguards next to me said with a groan. “It takes us forever to get anywhere!”
As soon as we were in the air, the bodyguards fell asleep, but Madiba was bright-eyed and wanted to chat. He also wanted to practise his speech for the morning – which was in Afrikaans – on me.
He read it a few times, pausing when he needed help with the Afrikaans pronunciation. I told him how touched I was by the effort he was making.
“Language is important when it comes to reconciliation,” he conceded.
“You know, my only problem is that with my hearing being so bad, I struggle to hear Afrikaans. So please stay close to me, to help me if I need translation.”
At the official residence, Madiba went to his office for a few minutes and I was shown into the room by Madiba’s housekeeper, Jacques Human.
“Ladies, can I get your attention please,” said Jacques in Afrikaans. “I would like to introduce you to Melanie Verwoerd.
She is a member of parliament accompanying President Mandela today. She is of course from”– he paused for dramatic effect – ‘the anc.”
It felt like hundreds of blue-eye-shadowed eyes had turned to me with cold hatred. “Good luck!” Jacques whispered, and made a hasty escape.
There was a few seconds’ silence before the women resumed their conversations, ignoring me. Then one woman, who was clearly the leader of the group, called them all to order.
“Ladies,” she said sternly, “before Mandela arrives, I want us to agree on a few house rules. We have to remember that we are here to make a point, to send a message. So can we remind ourselves that we will only speak Afrikaans today.
Even if we are asked to speak English, or Mandela speaks English, we will stick to Afrikaans.” There were loud cheers of support, and the leader triumphantly pulled her jacket into place.
Thinking of Mandela practising his speech on the early-morning flight, I felt an anger rising in me.
However, before I could say anything, I spotted Madiba through the window on his way to the room.
I slipped out a side door and rushed over to warn him about their intentions. Madiba nodded, and then said: “Leave it to me. Just stay close if I need you.”
I followed him as he walked into the room to greet the women who had lined up.
“Aaa, goeie môre! Dis so ’n eer om u te ontmoet” (Aaah, good morning! It is an honour to meet you), he said to the first one.
She froze slightly, and then went blood red.
“I am so, so honoured to meet you, Mr President. So honoured!” she blurted out in English.
The next one burst into tears. “I am so sorry what my people did to you,” she cried while Madiba hugged her.
The third woman spoke to him in Zulu!
Out of the corner of my eye I spotted the leader, who had a furious expression on her face.
As Madiba invited the women to tea on the stoep, he caught my eye and winked. What a master he is at these occasions, I thought.
The rest of the morning was further proof of this.
His speech went down a treat, and during question time he told the most emotional stories of his time in jail. He had all the women in tears, and even though he spoke mainly Afrikaans, they all spoke English.
At the end of the meeting, they gave him various gifts, including koeksisters, an Afrikaans Bible, some Afrikaans music, and photo frames for the photos of his grandchildren.
It was a hugely successful morning, and in the end, through Mandela’s actions, the only point that was made was his enormous capacity to turn the most hardened opponents into admirers.
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Visit Kalahari.com to purchase a copy of Our Madiba.
Sign up for Women24 book club newsletter and stand a chance to win our top ten books from kalahari.com.
