Tag: candles

Midnight candles for ailing Mandela

Candles_flame_in_the_wind-otherA dozen candles burnt through the night on Thursday at the Pretoria hospital where critically ill former president Nelson Mandela is being treated.

The candles were placed next to a miniature art gallery established by well-wishers on the security wall of the Medi-Clinic Heart hospital in Arcadia, east of Pretoria.

Multicoloured balloons, flowers, pictures and paintings of Madiba, hundreds of get-well-soon cards, flags and banners totally eclipsed the Medi-Clinic signboard at the Celliers Street entrance.

The tributes and messages of support were pasted at the entrance by people from all walks of life, addressed to the celebrated anti-apartheid icon.

Some of the messages read: “No one knows the time, including Jesus and the angels, only God knows. No one will take you from us except our heavenly father. From Lynel Dlamini”

A message printed in a large frame read: “From the bottom of our hearts, we as Northern Sudanese love you and pray for you. We pray for our hero, our man Madiba to be out of this sickness with all power render[ed] from Allah the Almighty.”

Another well-wisher wrote: “Tata Madiba. You are in my prayers. A father to our country. One we will always look up to. Sending you all my love and well wishes from Cape Town. Love you always. From Charne Snyders”.

Others wrote: “Madiba you are my hero. Will pray forever for you. From Judia Tivane Holm [from] Mozambique”.

“Madiba be well. Long live freedom. Long live Justice. Long live hope. From Shabana Azmi [and] Sandeep Chachna [from] India

“I will always love you Tata. From Johanisa Ruiters. From Noupoort, Northern Cape.”

Before 3am, most journalists had left and only a few were milling around near the hospital.

After midnight, several news crews, mainly international broadcasters, were doing live crossings near the Celliers Street entrance.

Numerous tents, generators, broadcasting cameras on tripods and outside broadcast vans have become a permanent feature on the street’s sidewalk since Madiba was admitted for a recurring lung infection on June 8.

Tshwane metro police officers were parked near the large fleet of media cars, which occupied all the parking spots near the entrance.

Vehicles were entering the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital sporadically through the entrance along Park Street. The Celliers Street gates were closed for the night.

Late on Wednesday, President Jacob Zuma left the hospital at 10.15pm in a black BMW. He was escorted by a number of official cars with blue flashing police lights, which waited for him a street away from the hospital’s Park street entrance.

Zuma was followed by Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in a black Lexus.

He arrived at the hospital just before 10pm. Mapisa-Nqakula arrived at 9.30pm.

Shortly after Zuma’s visit, the presidency said that Zuma had cancelled his visit to Mozambique on Thursday.

“President Zuma has decided to cancel his visit to Maputo, Mozambique tomorrow June 27, where he was due to attend an SA Development Community Summit regional infrastructure investment conference,” spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement.

Earlier in the evening, Mandela’s eldest daughter Makaziwe Mandela left the hospital at 6.20pm in a red Range Rover.

Thirty-five minutes earlier Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela left the hospital after her second visit for the day.

She left at 5.45pm after spending an hour at the hospital.

Two hours earlier, Madikizela-Mandela left at 2.45pm along with Mandela’s daughters Makaziwe and Zindzi Mandela as well as his grandchildren Ndaba and Ndileka Mandela, after arriving at 1.45pm.

Both Madikizela-Mandela’s visits were an hour long, her shortest since the presidency announced the former anti-apartheid icon’s condition deteriorated on Sunday evening.

The country’s former surgeon general, Dr Vejay Ramlakan, arrived at the hospital earlier on Wednesday. He stepped down earlier this year.

He returned in the early evening.

The presidency said on Tuesday that Mandela remained in a critical condition.

“[Mandela’s] condition remains unchanged in hospital, and doctors continue to do their best to ensure his recovery, well-being and comfort,” Maharaj said in a statement. – Sapa

Candles burn for ailing Mandela

Cards and flowers for Nelson Mandela outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria
Cards and flowers for Nelson Mandela outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria

Burning candles, bouquets of pink and red flowers, paintings and hundreds of messages at the entrance of a Pretoria hospital on Wednesday urged critically-ill former president Nelson Mandela to soldier on.

Well-wishers have consistently registered support for Mandela in different forms, transforming the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital’s security wall into a miniature art gallery.

The celebrated anti-apartheid icon was admitted at the facility in the early hours of June 8 for a recurring lung infection.

The catalogue of presents, get-well-soon cards, mainly handwritten on cardboard, eclipsed the hospital’s signpost at the entrance on Celliers Street.

A card attached to a white teddy bear read: “Dearest Madiba. Thank you for everything you have done for our country. You are and will always be a true legend and a grandfather to all. From Alphonso Tania”.

Another read: “Tata Madiba, the Lord knows the plans of his children. May you get better, but even if you don’t, we will still love you as a nation. [From] Lwandile”.

Three candles were burning slowly near the messages. Many balloons, including several from a popular pizza outlet, were tied with ribbon onto bunches of flowers.

Security at the private hospital has been upscaled since Madiba was admitted.

After 5am on Wednesday, several police officers started screening vehicles entering the facility.

Despite the cold, scores of journalists from local and international media houses stayed outside the hospital.

Several broadcast vans still had their engines running. The news crews also set up generators for back up power.

Tshwane metro police officers parked near journalists on Celliers street. Numerous police patrol cars were also in the area.

Mandela’s home in Houghton was quiet on Wednesday morning, with police cars occasionally patrolling the area.

Around 1.10am three cars and one van from the Johannesburg metro police came down 4th Street, and turned into the street where Mandela’s house is located.

The van at the back of the patrol switched on its hazard lights, reversed and parked in the street in front of the gate before flashing its headlights.

About eight officers got out of the vehicles and had a discussion in front of the gate for 10 minutes before they all got back into the cars and drove off slowly.

Many Mandela family members, politicians, socialites and religious leaders had visited Madiba at the hospital after he was admitted for a recurring lung infection on June 8.

On Tuesday, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Pumla-Makaziwe Mandela visited the Medi-Clinic Heart hospital, in Arcadia, east of Pretoria.

Mapisa-Nqakula arrived in a black Mercedes-Benz with blue flashing police lights shortly before 7pm.

Minutes earlier Mandela’s eldest daughter, Pumla Makaziwe-Mandela, and his granddaughters Tukwini and Ndileka Mandela, arrived at the hospital in a red Range Rover.

Shortly before their arrival, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Makgoba left the hospital.

Madiba’s step-daughter Jozina Machel was also at the hospital.

Controversial businessman Kenny Kunene arrived at the hospital’s Celliers street entrance to place flowers and speak to the media.

After Kunene’s visit, more Pretoria metro police officers arrived at the entry point.

They cordoned off Celliers Street where it meets with Park Street.

Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa arrived to check on the police officers and left after a brief discussion with them.

Earlier on Tuesday, the presidency confirmed that Mandela remained in a critical condition.

“[Mandela’s] condition remains unchanged in hospital, and doctors continue to do their best to ensure his recovery, wellbeing, and comfort,” spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement. – Sapa