– Motorbikes for Mandela –
Friday’s wreath-laying ceremony in Pretoria will kick off events to mark one year since the iconic leader passed away at the age of 95 after a long illness.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the three-minute moment of silence at 0800 GMT, followed by a friendly cricket match, dubbed the Mandela Legacy Cup, between South Africa’s national rugby and cricket teams at 1300 GMT.
At the weekend, artists and performers will hold centre stage at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which has launched an exhibition in honour of the life and work of its namesake.
Motorcyclists across the country have also been called on to dedicate their traditional Sunday morning rides to the anti-apartheid hero.
A five-kilometre (three-mile) Nelson Mandela Remembrance Walk will be held in Pretoria on December 13, passing some of the city’s historic landmarks, including the Union Buildings, South Africa’s seat of government.
The next day, the city’s inaugural marathon will dedicate its last mile to Madiba.
Mandela’s death was met with a worldwide outpouring of grief. READ: Mandela buried in Qunu after state funeral.
He had set South Africa on a course towards reconciliation after he emerged unbowed from nearly three decades in prison in 1990 and became the country’s first president to be elected by universal suffrage in 1994.
His one-time jailer FW de Klerk, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993, called on South Africans to honour his legacy.
“Although Nelson Mandela is no longer physically with us his legacy remains to guide us,” he said in a statement marking the anniversary.
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