July 18, 2008 ––The man at the centre of the occasion may not have been there himself, but that didn’t stop those at the Nelson Mandela Foundation from celebrating Madiba’s birthday today.
A giant cake and enormous birthday card dominated the entrance foyer as children from Bertrams Junior School joined everyone at the Foundation in wishing Mr Mandela a happy 90th birthday.
The card is filled with hundreds of birthday messages, ranging from the standard “Happy birthday Madiba” to the remarkably casual “Happy birthday dude.” The words on the cake were: “Happy 90th birthday Madiba – from the people.”
Bertrams Junior School was founded on July 18, 1918, the same day as Mr Mandela’s birth.
According to Laura Wegener, who helps raise funds for the school, the 10 children who came to the Foundation with their headmistress Khanyi Twala “were delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate Madiba’s birthday”, particularly as it coincided with the school’s birthday.
The cards they made will be presented to Madiba, along with a host of other birthday presents from around the world, upon his return from the Eastern Cape, where he is celebrating his birthday with family and friends.
