Zarif condoles S.Africa On Demise Of Anti-apartheid Icon Mandela

Tehran, Dec 7, IRNA – Iranian foreign minister in a condolence message sent on Friday sympathized with the South African nation and government on sad demise of anti-apartheid icon and former South African president, Nelson Mandela. The life of Nelson Mandela became an immortal icon of freedom seeking and campaign against apartheid, and his lifetime, ceaseless struggles raised the respect of the world nations and left lessons to learn, wrote Mohammad Javad Zarif in his condolence message. Nelson Mandela, who became one of the worlds most beloved statesmen and a colossus of the 20th century when he emerged from 27 years in prison to negotiate an end to white minority rule in South Africa, has died. He was 95. South African president Jacob Zuma made the announcement at a news conference late Thursday, saying, We've lost our greatest son. Mandela's death closed the final chapter in South Africa's struggle to cast off apartheid, leaving the world with indelible memories of a man of astonishing grace and good humor. As South Africas first black president, the ex-boxer, lawyer and prisoner No. 46664 paved the way to racial reconciliation with well-chosen gestures of forgiveness. He lunched with the prosecutor who sent him to jail, sang the apartheid-era Afrikaans anthem at his inauguration, and traveled hundreds of miles to have tea with the widow of Hendrik Verwoerd, the prime minister at the time he was imprisoned. The most repeated sentence in South Africa today is Good bye Tata, and the world Tata there means father./end