Nelson Mandela takes cake to hospice

Madiba smiles with the children of Banakekele Hospice in Kew

August 4, 2008 – Shortly after receiving birthday cakes from Bafana Bafana and the Springboks (the South African soccer and rugby teams) at his office today, Nelson Mandela paid a surprise visit to a hospice in Johannesburg.

Mr Mandela danced as he was welcomed with song when he walked in to the Banakekele Hospice in the suburb of Kew, near Alexandra. A group of 16 orphans who live at the hospice, part of the 37-strong staff and some of the 13 patients greeted him one at a time. After hearing from each child what they wanted to become when they grew up, he cut one of the two birthday cakes given to him earlier by the sports teams.

“I am very happy to have been here and I will always think of you,” he said to a group of children gathered around his chair. He reminded them: “Today, no person who is not well educated can lead the country. So you must attach importance to education because that’s the only way you can be accepted as a leader.”

The children, aged from eight to 17, had told him of their dream jobs – ranging from president to scientist, lawyer, doctor, nurse and policeman.

Rose Kubayi, a former school teacher who started the hospice in an empty factory building in 2003, said her first residents were two women infected with HIV. They brought their children with them and when the women died, both on the same day, she undertook to raise the children and to educate them. With no regular funding and relying on donations of food, Kubayi has seen her charges going off to school and becoming educated. She and her colleagues sell donated clothing in order to send the children to school.

“I will never forget this. What a happy day,” Kubayi said.
The Banakekele Hospice cares for people with a range of illnesses, including diabetes, cancer, stroke and AIDS-related conditions. One patient is in a coma.

Mr Mandela beamed as the children blew out the candles on the cakes and sang for him. Before their rendition of Happy Birthday, the children and staff sang him a special song which went: “Thank you Tata sincerely, we love you … grow to another 90 years.”

A dancing Mr Mandela was escorted to his car by children and staff singing “Sihamba nawe Tata” (we are going with you, father).