Withdrawn Madiba book deserves wider audience

Schaaf

It is unfortunate that Penguin has withdrawn Vejay Ramlakan’s Mandela’s Last Years from the shelves. I couldn’t find any degrading aspects in his book. It is written with great love and respect for Madiba. It is a book that deserves a wider audience.

However, I must admit that I was a bit disappointed (though it also made me smile) when I read how the author and his team outsmarted the public in a truly “Black Pimpernel” style operation.

It was January 2011 and Mandela had been admitted to Milpark Hospital.

I was a teacher at an adjacent school at that time. I motivated about two dozen pupils to make a huge poster stating “Take a short walk to health Madiba”.

We wanted Tata Madiba and his family to know that we were hoping and praying for his recovery.

It happened to be during the famous press conference with acting president Kgalema Motlanthe, Mandla Mandela, Ramlakan and others that we stood in front of the hospital with our poster.

The news that Madiba was in the process of being released caused joy and happiness all over. When the ambulance with Madiba passed in front of us, we sang the national anthem.

Ramlakan revealed in the book that it wasn’t actually Mandela who we saw in the ambulance but someone chosen from the military who was a lookalike.

Mandela had apparently already exited the building through a side entrance.