New book brings the Mandela years to life

It was raining when Nelson Mandela, the former president, queued to leave a dinner hosted by Queen Elizabeth II aboard the royal yacht in 1995. After the guests filed out, he turned to his lawyer, Linda Zama, and requested an all-weather coat, gumboots, and an umbrella for the morning ahead. Zama recounted this story at the launch of her book, Beyond the Icon, at the Homecoming Centre of the District Six Museum in Cape Town.

The hall was packed, and guests had to leave by 9:45 am to ensure the event ended on the hour. Zama had to order the items herself, and the manager of a local men's boutique obliged, even laying a red carpet at the door. Mandela insisted on shopping for the items himself, paying for them and insisting on carrying the shopping bags.

Zama shared another story about Mandela and his wife, Graça Machel, on a car ride home from a Johannesburg hospital. Mandela questioned the meaning of the good things people said about him, and his wife responded that they definitely meant what they said about him. Zama emphasized that Mandela never wanted to be put on a pedestal, and desired to be treated as an ordinary person.

She drew leadership lessons from his life, highlighting the importance of ubuntu and leading without formal power. Dr Iqbal Survé, a businessman and philanthropist, spoke about the security measures put in place for Mandela's release from prison in 1990, including doctors on standby in case of an assassination attempt. Survé also shared his own experience of being on a list of 100 business people and politicians sent to suspected right-wing extremists, revealing the ongoing challenges faced by ordinary South Africans.