South Africans from all walks of life during the Mandela memorial Tuesday.

By ISAAC MESO

NAIROBI, KENYA: The United Nations has said former South African president Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebrated on July 18 will now be Mandela International Day.

 United Nations Director General Sallywork Zewde said the day will be used to remember the less fortunate in the society as a way of honouring and celebrating the life of the late Nelson Mandela.

Zewde was speaking Tuesday at St Andrews Church in Nairobi during a memorial service for the fallen anti-apartheid hero.

Speaking at the service, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga described   Mandela  as a humble  statesman whose  life symbolised  mankind’s struggle against  bad governance  and  evil in the  society.

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Raila urged world leaders to pick up from where Mandela left in preaching peace and reconciliation.

“Today, the world  is  mourning  the death of Nelson Mandela not because he was  a  head of state of the Republic of South Africa, but because of  his good deeds that  reconciled different races in South Africa and the entire world,” he said.

Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka describe Mandela as a leader whose actions united the world, adding that his death was a big blow to South Africa and the rest of the continent.

CORDIAL RELATIONS

He also thanked UN for making July 18 an International Day, a date which coincided with Mandela’s birthday.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu condoled with Mandela’s family and the people of South Africa as they mourned the freedom icon.

Ms Ngilu said Kenya would continue to work closely with the Republic of South Africa to further the cordial relations whose foundation stone had been laid by Mandela.

South African High Commissioner to Kenya Ratubatsi Moloi expressed gratitude for the support from the Kenyan Government, the diplomatic community and South African citizens living in Kenya following the death of Madiba.

“Indeed as South Africans we are humbled by the International community’s solidarity with us at this period of mourning,” he said.