Mandela met the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution Sayyid Ali Khamenei in 1999 in Tehran and after the historic meeting he said that the great Imam Khomeini was not only a leader for the great nation of Iran but he would have been considered as the great guide of the ongoing freedom movement across the globe.
The African leader also expressed pride to pay pilgrimage to holy shrine of Imam Khomeini for twice and said that the great Imam had confronted the conspiracies and plots of colonial powers in our contemporary era.
On Thursday, South African President Jacob Zuma announced on the country’s national television that Mandela had passed away “Our nation has lost its greatest son,” the president stated.
In South Africa, Mandela is often known as Madiba, his clan name, or as tata, which means father. He is known as an icon for peace and reconciliation.
Mandela passed away after a long battle against lung illness. He had been receiving treatment at home since September.
Mandela, who led South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement and transition from white-minority rule in the 1990s after nearly three decades in prison, was one of the towering political figures of the 20th century.