Traci Mackie
have democratic local government elections, a historic rupture with the past.
“The same can be said of the Herald. If in the past it was a light in the darkness of colonialism and apartheid, today The Herald can act as a clear mirror against which the light of our democracy should reflect, with its brightness and, at times, with its imperfections.”
For security reasons, Mandela could not mingle with the crowd after his speech, but spent a short time with the VIPs in the reception room.
Event organiser Linda Harwood said 1995 was a particularly busy year for The Herald and the event attended by Mandela and Faku was a highlight.
“I felt so proud that Madiba himself was at the event. We had very good relations with City Hall, which probably was why the council hosted the civic banquet,” Harwood said, adding a 150th anniversary ball was also held in August and a special 150th anniversary supplement published.
Faku remembers the celebrations were among other headline-grabbing events in 1995. It was the year in which the country’s first democratically elected municipal elections were held, after which he was elected the city’s first black mayor. “It was also the year in which Queen Elizabeth II visited the city.”
The Herald and its sister paper Weekend Post also reported on the highs and lows of the Rugby World Cup, another momentous event held in South Africa and the Bay in 1995.