TATA MADIBA

A final goodbye to Tata Madiba

Nelson:  Name given to him on his first day at school by his teacher, Miss Mdingane.

Rolihlahla; His birth name, given to him by his father. In his native language of 'Xhosa' it means “pulling the branch of a tree”, but informally it means “troublemaker”.

Mandela: His family surname

Madiba: Name of the clan of which Mandela is a member. A clan name is much more important than a surname as it refers to the ancestor from which a person is descended. Madiba was the name of a Thembu chief who ruled in the Transkei in the 18th century.

Tata: In Xhosa, the word means “father”, but it is a term of endearment given to him by many South Africans regardless of their age.

It was a very rare moment for me to be part of the world's largest farewell to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela in FNB Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg. I was feeling honoured and really happy on that rain soaked day but at the same time sad, that I couldn't meet the legend in-person.

With the 99 head of states present and to hear them speak was a life time experience for me. With more that 95,000 people in FNB stadium and other dignitaries there was only one speaker who made everyone stop and listen. U.S. President Barack Obama who began his speech placing Mandela in the league of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King and closed his speech with Nelson Mandela's words "It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."

Here are some picture which I can share with all