Mandela: Flags At Half Mast, Condolence Book
[Updated] The Cabinet Office announced today that in tribute to the late Nelson Mandela, Bermuda Flags on all Government buildings will be flown at half-mast today and on the day of Mr. Mandela’s funeral.
Additionally, a Condolence Book will be available for signing at the Cabinet Office between the hours of 10.00 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. from Monday December 9 – Friday December 13.
Today’s session in the House of Assembly began in tribute to the late Nelson Mandela, with all MPs standing for two minutes of silence, and MPs from both sides of the aisle are now speaking on his legacy in the House.
The Bermuda flag is not the only one being lowered as a mark of respect, with the South African is flying at half mast in Devonshire [pictured below] by Dr Milan Oleksak, a South African resident of Bermuda.
Dr Olesak said upon hearing the news of Mr Mandela’s passing he felt “like my endocardium has been ripped from my chest.”
“As a nation we were most blessed to have had such an amazing individual as our leader. Other nations got people like Milosevic and others,” said Dr Olesak.
“He lives on in our constitution, the TRC and the spirit left behind in the people of our still fragmented Rainbow Nation. I am flying the flag at half mast off Devonshire Dock…”
Bermuda joins numerous countries around the world in lowing our flag as a mark of respect, with various nations, schools and sporting bodies showing respect to the legendary leader, who suffered through 27 years of incarceration at the hands of a apartheid regime.
US President Barack Obama ordered flags at the White House and public/military facilities to be flown at half-mast, UK Prime Minister David Cameron asked the Downing Street Office flag be flown at half-mast.
The United Nations flag at their Headquarters in New York has been lowered, and World soccer body FIFA ordered the flags of the 209 member associations at the home of FIFA to be flown at half-mast and a minute’s silence before the next round of international matches.
The French capital city has illuminated its most iconic landmark, the Eiffel Tower, in the colours of the South African flag to pay honour of one of the world’s biggest icons.
The Eiffel Tower has been lit up in the colours of the South African flag to grieve over Nelson Mandela’s death. pic.twitter.com/9cstTVSgTQ
— Google Earth Pics (@GoogleEarthPics) December 6, 2013
Thank you Mr. Mandela for depicting steadfastness, courage, patiecne and humility! !
A famous person, but the exaggerated news of his life and death for political reasons is and will be sickening. Lower flags for Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, but not for Mandela.
maybe I misunderstood your post. Mandela saved South Africa from ultimate ruin. He came out of prison and could have rallied millions into civil war. He chose a different route, reconciliation instead of retribution. He had the power to choose right over wrong. He was a bigger man than his oppressors and chose right. Now if all that was lost on you then just compare Mugabe’s Zimbabwe to Mandela’s South Africa. Have you figured it out yet?
South Africa had always been in civil war especially when the Europeans invaded but unfortunately he had to reconcile ,you had a regime that had the most sophisticated weapons compared to people with tribal weapons, Its no different then when the Europeans invaded America, but what is sickening is that the Europeans had reaped the wealth and manipulated and murdered the Africans and the right thing to do is to wave a white flag while the masses are living in poverty while the oppressors are living like fat cats.
As for Mugabe he wanted Europeans out of Zimbabwe because of the Ian Smith White regime and when the whites left the took with them the resources that kept the country stable. The civil war was because of a split from within the same that happened with ANC and Inkatha or where you talking about a civil war between the blacks and the whites.
You’re showing your ignorance, “Mazumbo”.
Mugabe wanted white folks out of Zimbabwe because it was prosperous and he is a greedy, disgusting human being.
He began taking farms as punishment against people voting against him.
The whites “took… the resources that kept the country stable”? You have no idea what you’re talking about. Most of the “resources” they took were the clothes on their back and that’s it.
You are spreading lies, again. Please stop that.
one rare moment that we’re in agreement MH….Mugabe’s method of evening the score hurt everyone, black and white. He aggressively dismantled a functioning country and reduced it to near poverty. He’s way of thinking was similar to Amin kicking out the Indians in Uganda….couldn’t see beyond immediate gratification of his own folly….reminds me of free bus rides, free child care, free car licenses, free jobs, free…..oh now you got it?
Don,
You can’t be serious. Are you one of these Trolls that make the rounds on the blogs trying to stir up the emotions of people?
Please do more research on the life of Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s Apartheid system and stop making a fool of yourself.
Nelson Mandela could have roused his people and started a blood-bath against the white minority South African population. Instead he showed great restraint, discipline and courage by trying to bring his compatriots together rather than driving them apart with the politics of racial hatred and social inequality as the Apartheid regime had been doing to black South Africans for 46 brutal years.
Here are a couple of good websites for your edification:
http://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography
http://www.history.com/topics/apartheid
Peace!
Ya, Ya, Ya all that’s fine and dandy but you had Nazi criminals hunted down and on trial after their genocide on the Jews, but the murderers of the Africans are still living in comfort and its business as usual and bringing his compatriots together is a bunch of BS, yes you will get a handful of blacks that will rub shoulders with the Elite but the majority of Africans are still poor ,unemployed and living in sub-standard conditions.
No Justice No Peace
It was great to see the Fairmont Hamilton acknowledging Mandela’s passing as well. I was there to see the Boat Parade tonight and saw all flags at half mast with the leading flag at the entrance being the South African Flag. Class act from a classy hotel.