UNITED KINGDOM: Archbishop Desmond Tutu's granddaughter joins Mandela mourners outside South African High Commission in London after being told the news of his passing at the royal premiere of "Mandela: The Long Walk To Freedom"

Record ID: 170467

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Archbishop Desmond Tutu's granddaughter joins Mandela mourners outside South African High Commission in London after being told the news of his passing at the royal premiere of "Mandela: The Long Walk To Freedom"
  • Date: 6th December 2013
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF MOURNERS AND CANDLES LUNGI MORRISON, GRANDDAUGHTER OF DESMOND TUTU, MOURNING PEOPLE LAYING FLOWERS
  • Embargoed: 21st December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Obituaries
  • Reuters ID: LVAEKX4CHESUBAUF4QLJBT1I7DM1
  • Story Text: Archbishop Desmond Tutu's granddaughter joined man impromptu group of mourners outside the South African High Commission in London on Thursday night (December 5) after learning of the passing of Nelson Mandela.
    Lungi Morrison was representing the Tutu family at the royal premiere of the film "Mandela: The Long Walk To Freedom" in Leicester Square when she and other attendees were broken the news by the film's producer Anant Singh.
    "I was representing my family at the royal premiere and I just fell to my feet thinking of Madiba and my grandfather and all the elders who have sacrified for South Africa. And on an evening when we paid tribute at the royal premiere, Madiba left us", a visibly moved Morrison said.
    Around 50 people gathered outside the High Commission on Trafalgar Square, scene of many anti-apartheid demonstrations, to lay flowers and candles and sing songs.
    "I am still in shock to be honest, it is poignant, it is a time of reflection personally as a young person who grew up in exile and then went back home and now being in England to watch a premiere about a man who had given so much for all of us to have the liberties that we do. And so, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought watching this film on this particular night.we keep hearing how sick he was, and we have to celebrate his life too and understand and respect that it is now time to let him be," said Morrison.
    South Africans who now live in London and Brits joined together in Trafalgar Square to honour Mandela and his legacy.
    "It means a lot for me to be a South African, I am a proud South African. He is our role model, he is more like a father to us. He is everything to us, so it is such a shame that he is gone and I still haven't.the shock hasn't hit me yet," said Rebecca Miya, a South African from Soweto who now lives in London.
    During this historic period when Mandela became South African President, Michael McManus was working for the British Foreign Office in Pretoria. He was compelled to pay his respects outside the High Commission.
    "The news came through and here is a great man who dominates the last century and the early part of this century and I just wanted to have some sort of solidarity I think, solidarity in grief is such a powerful thing," he said.
    The High Commission is due to open up a book of condolence for all to sign when it opens on Friday.
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