05 May,2009 02:19 PM IST | | Sanjjeev K Samyal
Imagine being Nelson Mandela's neighbour. This correspondent is among the privileged few.
When I booked myself to stay in the quiet Rosebank area of this sprawling South African metropolis, the only criteria were that it should be comfortable, have an internet connection and should not be a long drive to the Wanderers Stadium.
I never ever thought I would be a neighbour to South Africa's greatest personality. I was startled to be told about it at breakfast on my first morning in this city that Mandela lived just down the road in Houghton area.
Mandela spent 27 years in prison for leading the anti-apartheid campaign in this country and has received over a 100 awards over four decades, most notably the Nobel Peace prize in 1993.
I may be here on a cricket assignment, but a trip to the great man's house became a priority.
Filled with excitement, I took to the street to have a look at the icon's residence. It was not difficult to locate. It was straight down the road, one left turn, followed by a right and then a left again, and I was there.
The area around his house was serene. There was no long line of security vehicles; no nameplate; only a few cars parked outside the gate.
You can even seek an appointment to meet the legend if you put in a request at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which is round the corner from his home.
Diedre Morrison who has lived in this area much before Mandela moved in (in 1995), told MiD DAY: "Mandela is very down-to-earth. He is very low-key. When he came to live in this area, there was no fuss about it. In fact, we came to know about his presence long after he had moved in.
"He comes to Rosebank Mall for his shopping and walks around like a commoner. We have friends come across and say: 'Hello, your neighbour was shopping in the mall today. And you would ask, 'who?' They would say: 'Mandela'."
His visits to the mall have become infrequent now though.
"He's quite frail. He comes with escorts now to help him move around," said another neighbour. He is 90 now and it is said that Mandela's memory has diminished with time. He will be fine while talking to you, but may not remember anything about it after two hours.
To the people here, he is often known as Madiba, a title adopted by elders of Mandela's clan.
Mandela was the leader of the ANC when he became South Africa president but his charm transcends all communities.
"He is like your Gandhi. He is for all communities," said Diedre, a white woman.
Indeed. Both proved you can be great and still lead a simple life. There is a lot other world leaders can learn from this great man!
