By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
FREEPORT – Grand Bahama resident Robert Grant - who in the late 1980s was part of a movement in the Bahamas that fought for the Nelson Mandela’ release from prison - expressed deep sadness at the death of the former South African president.
Mr Mandela died on December 5 at the age of 95.
“I am happy to know that I was a part of the role the Bahamas played in the fight for his release. I feel as though I had a little to do with it,” Mr Grant said.
“I am deeply saddened that he is gone, but I am very grateful for the life he has lived and the contributions he made to humanity.”
Attending the College of the Bahamas and serving as the student union’s president, Mr Grant was one of the founding members of the Bahamas National Committee for the Struggles in Southern Africa.
He was selected by the committee to represent the Bahamas at a United Nations conference held in George Town, Guyana, in 1985.
Upon his return home, Mr Grant met with then Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling in a private meeting at the Cabinet Building.
He asked Sir Lynden that working for Mr Mandela’s freedom and the Independence of Namibia be put on the government’s official agenda. Mr Grant said this led to the Nassau Accord, which set the road map for freeing Mandela.
Mr Grant said Sir Lynden led a delegation and chaired all the meetings with Prime Minister of Great Britain Lady Margaret Thatcher and the G-7 countries.
After Mandela’s release, his first visit to a foreign country was to the Bahamas to say thank you.
Mr Grant was invited to meet Mandela for the first time.
He said he was invited a second time, and spent the New Years holiday with Mr Mandela by Sir Lynden at the latter’s residence on Sky Line Drive.
“God’s planet earth has lost of its greatest sons, the late Nelson Mandela, a freedom fighter for equality in South Africa,” wrote Grant on his Facebook page.
“I did play a role in the freedom of this great freedom fighter of planet earth. Rest in peace, my hero.”
• For more on tributes to Nelson Mandela, see page 19, plus pages 24&25 in our second news section today.
Comments
pat242 10 years, 4 months ago
Why is it that people comment on the negative aspects the media published and say nothing about the many ground breaking things people of The Bahamas has accomplished. Once again The Bahamas with a hand full of people hedged itself in history by becoming being one of the advocators for the release of Mr. Mandala. Mr. Mandala was so pleased he came here to say thanks. How many other country's can say they have been blessed with such a prestigious opportunity. I am so proud to be a Bahamian. Thank you Sir Lyndon Pindling for leading a team of delegates to address with the world leaders for the release of Mr. Mandala. RIP Nelson Mandala
SurDavid 10 years, 4 months ago
Mandala was a violent revolutionary and a senior member of the South African Communist Party. Communists don't believe in GOD. He wrote the British PM to demand the release of the Lockerbie bomber. He called Fidel Castro and Gaddafi 'comrade'. He praised the Chinese communist system of government as a model to follow...etc...etc...etc.. To get out of jail all he had to do was to renounce terrorism which he never did. The system now in place in South Africa is worse than the one it replaced...whaaaat!
This is the man that the good, Christian people of the Bahamas want their government to lionize?
I think not.
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