First Minister sends 90th birthday wishes to Nelson Mandela

First Minister Rhodri Morgan has sent a 90th birthday message to Nelson Mandela on behalf of the people of Wales.

In his message, the First Minister said: “Nelson Mandela remains the world’s most revered statesman for his struggle against apartheid. Throughout his long imprisonment he represented a beacon of hope for South African people that one day they would live in a multi-racial democracy. To the rest of the world he was a symbol of the fight against oppression and racial intolerance. He has become an icon for peace and reconciliation and a symbol of forgiveness.

Few of us will forget the day this remarkable man walked free after 27 years of imprisonment and the joy we felt to see him in freedom and back in the world where he belonged. There was an acute sense of anticipation that this man would be the catalyst for change – and he did not fail us. He has set an example to the whole world through his moral and political strength in dealing with conflict – a strength which lies in grace, consideration and courtesy where others use harsh words and loud rhetoric. He just seems to operate on a different level to most political leaders, many of whom can seem all too fallible and small-minded by comparison.

It was this strength which led to the formation of a new multi-racial democracy for South Africa with relatively little bloodshed. As the first black African president he built a new international image of South Africa using his own profile as a force for good encouraging peace efforts in other areas of the world. Since stepping down as President he has worked tirelessly in the campaign against the Aids epidemic sweeping Africa and united the G8 leaders in the campaign to Make Poverty History. At the trial which led to his life imprisonment, Nelson Mandela said: ‘I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.’ No-one has done more for this cause than him and, at 90 years old he remains the most iconic figure of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Happy Birthday Mr Mandela. Wales honours you on this special day.”