“We’ve lost our greatest son. His humility, his compassion and his humanity earned him our love.”
— South African President Jacob Zuma
“South Africa and the world have lost a colossus and epitome of humility, equality, justice and peace. His life gives us the courage to push forward for development and progress towards ending hunger and poverty.”
— African National Congress
€œ”I think Mandela’s greatest legacy and influence on the South African nation is that we are basically at peace with each other, notwithstanding our great diversity. … His greatest legacy is that he was a unifier, and that he successfully broke the bridge between the conflict of the past and the peace of today.”
— Former South African President F.W. DeKlerk on the BBC
“We have lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth. He no longer belongs to us. He belongs to the ages.”
— President Barack Obama
— “President Mandela was one of the great forces for freedom and equality of our time. He bore his burdens with dignity and grace, and our world is better off because of his example.”
Former President George W. Bush
“We will remember him as a man of uncommon grace and compassion, for whom abandoning bitterness and embracing adversaries was not just a political strategy but a way of life.”
— Former President Bill Clinton
“His passion for freedom and justice created new hope for generations of oppressed people worldwide, and because of him, South Africa is today one of the world’s leading democracies.”
— Former President Jimmy Carter
“I believe he was saintly because he inspired others powerfully and revealed in his character, transparently, many of God’s attributes of goodness: compassion, concern for others, desire for peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu on AllAfrica
“He chose reconciliation over retribution… he laid the groundwork for a new South Africa. “
— The Rev. Jesse Jackson, speaking to the BBC
“A great light has gone out in the world.”
— British Prime Mininster David Cameron in the Guardian
“He was the father of his people, a man of vision, a freedom fighter who rejected violence.”
— Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
“Mandela’s example will guide all who fight for social justice and for peace in the world.”
— Brazilian President Dilma Roussef
— “The indefatigable spirit which he demonstrated throughout his life will continue to inspire present and future generations.”
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan
“Nelson Mandela’s message will not disappear. It will continue to inspire fighters for freedom, and to give confidence to peoples in the defense of just causes and universal rights.”
— French President Francois Hollande
“Nelson Mandela was a giant for justice and a down-to-earth human inspiration. … He touched our lives in deeply personal ways.”
— United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
“Today, an eloquent voice has been silenced, a beautiful mind stilled, and a bountiful heart stopped. The epic soul of Nelson Mandela is now at rest.”
— Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
“Nelson Mandela taught us all that forgiveness is stronger than hate. The best way to honor his passing is to follow his example.”
— Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
“Madiba may no longer be with us, but his journey continues on with all of us.”
Actor Morgan Freeman, who portrayed Mandela in the 2009 film “Invictus”
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