MOSSEL BAY NEWS - A well-known figure in South Africa, and abroad, Zelda la Grange, the former private secretary to the country's first democratic president, Nelson Mandela, was the guest speaker at a mayoral breakfast on Tuesday 29 July.
La Grange, whose parents live in Mossel Bay, pulled a full crowd to the breakfast, held at the Mossel Bay Golf Club, where she spoke about her new book, What Mandela Taught Me, sharing some moving anecdotes about her time with Mandela and some of the most important lessons he taught her.
A former bodyguard of Mandela's, Conroy Herandien, his former pilot, Dave Jackson, and his former nurse, Miemie Maritz, were all present at the breakfast among the Mossel Bay residents, business owners and members of the municipality.
La Grange said some of the most important lessons she received from Mandela were respect, to never be immovable, to live by a moral compass, to listen to understand and to have integrity.
Conroy Herandien, Mandela's former bodyguard, Dave Jackson, Mandela's former pilot, Amanda Prinsloo of the ACVV, Mayor Dirk Kotzé, Miemie Maritz, a nurse to Mandela and Alderman Anton Dellemijn. Front: Zelda la Grange. Photo: Aydn Parrott
She also explained that Mandela had believed that a person can change their heart - this was the most important lesson she learnt.
She shared that her favourite quote from Mandela is from his book, Long Walk to Freedom:
"No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."
"He said the choices we make should reflect our hope, not our fears," La Grange said.
"It is very easy today in South Africa to lose hope. When I look at Nelson Mandela's life, I think to myself, how dare I give up on this beautiful country? We stand on the shoulders of people like him, people with integrity, people who really wanted the best for everyone and not just for a select group of people. So may our choices here in Mossel Bay reflect our hopes."
Zanah-Lee Erasmus-Stanley gives a beautiful performance following Zelda la Grange's talk. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
There was a brief question-and-answer session with some of the attendees before Friemersheim singer Zanah-Lee Erasmus-Stanley gave a beautiful and soulful performance. Then followed a book signing by
La Grange.
In a post on Facebook, La Grange than-ked Mossel Bay Municipality's executive mayor, Dirk Kotzé, for inviting her to speak at the breakfast, and to everyone who attended.
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