Parliament unified in Madiba tribute
Parliament’s joint sitting in honour of Madiba was a rare display of unity and shared loss.
CAPE TOWN - Parliamentarians on Monday paid tribute to Nelson Mandela in a special joint sitting of both houses in Parliament.
South Africa's first democratically elected president passed away on Thursday 5 December at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg.
He was 95-years-old.
Justice Minister Jeff Radebe said South Africans will continue Mandela's long walk to freedom.
He made the pledge as politicians came together in a rare display of unity on Monday to pay their respects to the father of the nation.
Instead of political sniping, harmony was the order of the day as Parliament took its leave of its first black president.
Radebe came close to tears delivering his tribute:
"The world will never be the same again."
A similar message came from Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille.
"He's handed the baton to us and we dare not drop it."
Hundreds of ordinary South Africans attended the historic joint sitting.
