Emmanuel Macron pays tribute to Nelson Mandela's legacy before leaving South Africa
On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron, during his visit to the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, praised the first black president of South Africa, saying that he left "a great legacy for humanity", before concluding his visit and returning to France.
Macron said, "Before leaving, it is important to express our appreciation and imbibe what made the history of this country and its struggles," praising the "life of commitment, sacrifice and struggle" that Nelson Mandela lived for "the consecration of equality and freedom."
Mandela, a hero in the struggle against apartheid and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, is a pivotal figure in the twentieth century highly revered outside the borders of Africa, and he passed away on the 5th of December 2013.
The French president drove in front of the old car, a symbol of reconciliation in the country, then visited his office and said that the place "stirs emotions."
Macron spoke of democracy in South Africa, which "faces many challenges but is addressing them with great courage."
The French president concluded a two-day visit to South Africa on Saturday, following a historic visit to Rwanda.
With South Africa currently focusing on fighting the virus epidemic, Emmanuel Macron and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa agreed that patents for anti-virus vaccines "should in no way be an obstacle" to immunizing people.
The French President expressed his support for the request for a temporary lifting of patents, although his priority is to accelerate the transfer of vaccine manufacturing technology.
During his meeting with the French community in South Africa on Saturday, Macron used the word "habo", which means in the Khoisan language a dream that must be shared by society in order to be realized. He said: "This word alone summarizes the aspiration of South Africans to coexistence, and this applies to Europe and Africa today: Happo!"
