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It was with the greatest sadness that I have learned of the death of Nelson Mandela. My wife Elita and I would like to convey our deepest condolences to his wife, Graça Machel, the Mandela family and their friends, to the ANC and indeed to the entire South African nation.

South Africa has lost one of its founding fathers and one of its greatest sons.

I first met Nelson Mandela on 13 December 1989, a few months after I became president.  We did not discuss any substantive issues and spent most of the time sizing one another up.  We both reached the conclusion that we would be able to do business with one another.

At my next meeting with him, on 9 February 1990, we discussed his imminent release, scheduled for 11 February. He was initially taken aback and insisted that the release would have to be delayed to give the ANC time to make the necessary arrangements. I said that that would not be possible but, in a spirit of compromise, agreed that he would be able to choose the place of his release.  He chose Cape Town.

In the years that followed, it was an honour for me to have been able to work with Mr Mandela in the process that led to the adoption of the interim Constitution and our first democratic elections in April 1994. Although we were political opponents - and although our relationship was often stormy - we were always able to come together at critical moments to resolve the many crises that arose during the negotiation process.

One such moment was the assassination of Chris Hani on 10 April 1993 when Nelson Mandela was able to use his great moral authority to call for calm and to ensure that the negotiations were not derailed.

In the concession speech that I made after the ANC’s victory in our first non-racial election on 27 April 1994, I congratulated Mr Mandela on the role that he had played during the negotiations:

"Mr Mandela will soon assume the highest office in the land with all the awesome responsibility which it bears. He will have to exercise this great responsibility in a balanced manner which will assure South Africans from all our communities that he has all their interests at heart. I am confident that this will be his intention.

Mr Mandela has walked a long road, and now stands at the top of the hill. A traveller would sit and admire the view. But the man of destiny knows that beyond this hill lies another and another. The journey is never complete. As he contemplates the next hill, I hold out my hand to Mr Mandela - in friendship and in co-operation."

During his presidency, Mr Mandela did indeed use his great responsibility to assure South Africans from all our communities that he had all their interests at heart. He made a unique contribution not only to the establishment of our constitutional democracy but also to the cause of national reconciliation and nation-building.

Even in his well-deserved retirement he continued to be a force for reconciliation and social justice - not only in South Africa, but throughout the world. In later years, when we had both retired from the hurly-burly of political life, my wife Elita and I became friends with Nelson Mandela and his wife Graça Machel.

Nelson Mandela’s courage, charm and commitment to reconciliation and to the Constitution, were an inspiration not only for South Africans but for the whole world. I believe that his example will live on and that it will continue to inspire all South Africans to achieve his vision of non-racialism, justice, human dignity and equality for all.

Tata, we shall miss you - but know that your spirit and example will always be there to guide us to the vision of a better and more just South Africa.
 

Dit is met die grootste hartseer dat ek gehoor het van die dood van Nelson Mandela. My vrou Elita en ek wil ons innige meegevoel betuig met sy vrou, Graça Machel, die Mandela-familie en hul vriende, die ANC en inderdaad ook die hele Suid-Afrika.

Suid-Afrika het een van sy stigters en een van sy grootste seuns verloor.

Ek het Nelson Mandela die eerste keer op 13 Desember 1989 ontmoet, ’n paar maande nadat ek President geword het. Ons het nie enige substantiewe kwessies bespreek nie en het die meeste van die tyd gebruik om mekaar op te som. Ons het albei tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat ons met mekaar sal kan besigheid doen.

Tydens my tweede ontmoeting met hom, op 9 Februarie 1990, het ons sy naderende vrylating bespreek, wat vir 11 Februarie geskeduleer was. Hy was aanvanklik verbaas en het daarop aangedring dat die vrylating uitgestel moet word om die ANC kans te gee om die nodige reëlings te tref. Ek het gesê dat dit nie moontlik sou wees nie, maar, in die gees van kompromie, ingestem dat hy die plek kon kies waar hy vrygelaat sou word. Hy het Kaapstad gekies.

In die jare wat daarop gevolg het was dit vir my ‘n eer om saam met mnr Mandela te kon werk aan die proses wat gelei het tot die aanvaarding van die tussentydse Grondwet en ons eerste demokratiese verkiesings in April 1994. Alhoewel ons politieke teenstanders was - en alhoewel ons verhouding dikwels stormagtig was - was ons altyd in staat om bymekaar te kom op kritieke oomblikke om baie van die probleme op te los wat tydens die onderhandelingsproses na vore gekom het.

Een só ‘n oomblik was die sluipmoord op Chris Hani op 10 April 1993 toe Nelson Mandela daarin geslaag het om sy sterk morele gesag te gebruik om ‘n beroep om kalmte te doen en te verseker dat die onderhandelinge nie ontspoor nie.

In die konsessietoespraak wat ek gemaak het na die ANC se oorwinning in ons eerste nie-rassige verkiesing op 27 April 1994, het ek mnr Mandela geluk gewens met die rol wat hy gedurende die onderhandelinge gespeel het:

"Mnr Mandela sal binnekort die hoogste bewind in die land aanvaar met al die reuse verantwoordelikhede wat daarmee gepaardgaan. Hy sal hierdie groot verantwoordelikheid op ‘n gebalanseerde manier moet uitoefen wat Suid-Afrikaners uit al ons gemeenskappe sal oortuig dat hy hul beste belange op die hart dra. Ek is daarvan oortuig dat dít sy voorneme is.

Mnr Mandela het ‘n lang pad gestap, en nou staan hy bo-op die heuwel. ‘n Reisiger sal sit en die uitsig bewonder. Maar die man van bestemming weet dat nóg ‘n heuwel en nóg ‘n heuwel agter die heuwel lê. Die reis kom nooit tot ‘n einde nie. Terwyl hy die volgende heuwel betrag, hou ek my hand uit na mnr Mandela - in vriendskap en in samewerking."

Gedurende sy presidentskap het mnr Mandela inderdaad sy groot verantwoordelikheid gebruik om Suid-Afrikaners uit alle gemeenskappe te oortuig dat hy hul almal se belange op die hart dra. Hy het ‘n unieke bydra gemaak nie net tot die stigting van ons grondwetlike demokrasie nie, maar ook tot die stryd om nasionale versoening en nasiebou.

Selfs tydens sy welverdiende aftrede het hy voortgegaan om ‘n stryder vir versoening en maatskaplike geregtigheid te wees - nie net in Suid-Afrika nie, maar regoor die wêreld. In latere jare, toe ons albei uitgetree het uit die harla boerla van die politieke lewe, het my vrou Elita en ek goeie vriende geword met Nelson Mandela en sy vrou Graça Machel.

Nelson Mandela se moed, sjarme en toewyding aan versoening en die Grondwet was nie net ‘n inspirasie vir Suid-Afrikaners nie, maar ook vir die hele wêreld. Ek glo dat sy voorbeeld sal voortleef en dat dit steeds alle Suid-Afrikaners sal inspireer om sy visie van nie-rassisme, geregtigheid, menswaardigheid en gelykheid vir almal na te streef.

Tata, ons sal jou mis - maar ons weet dat jou gees en voorbeeld altyd daar sal wees om ons te lei na die visie van ‘n beter lewe en ‘n regverdiger Suid-Afrika.