A procession of marchers of all age groups, but mainly young people, dressed in green and white t-shirts with the name Nelson Mandela emblazoned on them braved the rain and wended their way along Mandela Avenue to the National Cultural Centre. And among them was a small contingent of both men and women dressed in colourful African clothing.
Baton twirling Majorettes from Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara and West Ruimveldt, Georgetown presented a quite delightful spectacle to onlookers as they pranced and twirled their way along the route.
Another captivating feature was the work of the Mercury Drum Corps of the Berea Seventh Day Adventist Church whose members provided lively musical accompaniment, a combination of compelling drum beats and wind instruments for the marchers.
At the national tarmac there were speeches interspersed with cultural items, including an African dance by young dancers from the National School of Dance. The celebrants also observed one minute of silence in honour of Mr. Mandela.
During a feature address Minister Anthony said that Mr. Mandela had made an indelible impact on not only South Africa but the entire world.
He said: “Any one in any part of the world can relate to what he did in leading the struggle which dismantled the system of apartheid and brought justice and equality to the black people of South Africa.”
“Because of his life he has changed the world and all of us are better because Nelson Mandela did what he had to do and struggled in some way for all of us,” he added.
Noting that the anti-apartheid hero was currently hospitalised, Dr. Anthony said that the thoughts of all Guyanese are with him on his 95th birthday.
He said: “We remember all that he did for us and let us hold a thought of prayer for him and wish for his speedy recovery.”
Executive Director of the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA), Dr. Eric Phillips also paid tribute to Mr. Mandela describing him as one of the greatest human beings who ever lived.
In a half hour speech he recapped the early life and development of the African statesman from his boyhood days in Qunu, a small rural village in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province, to his education as a lawyer, his twenty-seven years of imprisonment, and his eventual triumphal emergence from prison to become the first black President of South Africa.
Dr. Phillips credited Mr. Mandela with a leadership style which helped avert a post-apartheid civil war in South Africa and helped the country to become a member of the BRICS, the acronym for an association of five major emerging national economies, namely: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Organiser of the programme and administrator of the Museum of African Heritage, Ms. Jenny Daly said that the march in honour of Mr. Mandela on his birthday is the first of its kind.
The museum had organised such activities as films shows and other educational activities on previous birthdays of Mr. Mandela.
The end of the programme on the tarmac of the National Cultural Centre was marked by the release of several balloons in the air to the accompaniment of cheers from the onlookers.
