Madiba enjoys children’s cards

Nelson Mandela and his wife Graça Machel share a laugh at the NMF buildings

August 5, 2008 – Nelson Mandela took time today to view an exhibition of some of the thousands of hand-drawn 90th birthday cards sent to him by children.

He expressed his “joy” at a private celebration with staff of the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg.

Accompanied by his wife Graça Machel and his personal assistant Zelda La Grange, Mr Mandela smiled and laughed as he inspected the cards and was read messages in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa from children all over South Africa.

One child said that both he and his mother loved Mr Mandela “very much”. A boy congratulated him on turning 90 and added that if he was lucky he would be able to get “a letter from the queen” when he turned 100. “Which queen?” Mandela quipped.

The card that drew the most laughter from Mr Mandela was one in which the child added to the birthday message a plea: “Please put me on TV”, followed by a cellphone number.

Another child wrote: “Thank you for making South Africa nice for us.”

For his 90th birthday Mr Mandela has received at least 50 000 birthday cards and telephone and email messages from around the world. The latest batch of cards arrived in boxes this week at the Nelson Mandela Foundation. They came from South African school children.

At today’s celebration, a group of about 45 staff of the Nelson Mandela Foundation sang, clapped and cheered for Mr Mandela and gave him several birthday gifts, including a cream-coloured, king-sized blanket which they wrapped around him and Mrs Machel.

“I am very happy indeed that I have spent my 90th year with you,” Mr Mandela told the staff. “Nothing is more important than to be loved by your colleagues and you have given me joy and strength which I never imagined I would have. Kealeboha (thank you).”