My dear friends on facebook, the news of the passing of the great Nelson Mandela to ancestorhood has left Africa and the rest of humanity with a deep feeling of loss.
Never in recent living memory has a leader mobilized the consciousness of human existence to the cause of freedom and the advancement of world civilization as did Mandela.
By his exemplary life of humility and high inclusivity, the former president enshrined a beacon of hope for the hopeless and gave power to the powerless in the world as we know it today.
He was a man who planted trees whose shade he knew he would never physically enjoy but was nonetheless satisfied that the trees would provide some shade for the living.
As humanity looks into the future, the Mandela story will remain a most outstanding example of compassion, forgiveness and progress. Because of the work of Mandela and his compatriots, humanity now looks forward to a better world in the centuries ahead. Adieu, our leader Mandela! GEJ