Nelson Mandela’s final moments were spent off a life support machine with his wife, Graça Machel, and his former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at his bedside, witnesses have said.
The former president died at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, at 8.50pm on Thursday, sending millions into mourning in South Africa and around the world.
Bantu Holomisa, a politician and close family friend, recalled how less than three hours earlier he found Mandela asleep and struggling to breathe but “still fighting”.
Holomisa, 58, said he received a call on Thursday afternoon telling him to come urgently. “They said on the phone that Madiba doesn’t look good,” he told the Guardian. “I immediately drove straight to his home and went to his bedroom.”
The time was 6.35pm and Mandela’s condition was clearly deteriorating. “I could confirm this wasn’t the Madiba we’ve seen since he went into hospital. He was sleeping with no life support machine. You could hear from his breathing that he was struggling.
“Winnie and Graça were at the bedside of Madiba. You could see the tension. I bowed to acknowledge them then gave myself a moment of silence with Madiba, said thank you to the doctors and then left at 6.50pm for another engagement.”
At that point Holomisa did not realise he would never see his mentor again. “I was still in a state of denial. He’s still fighting, but it was not to be. I was not that shocked when he died because I had just seen him. My mind was conditioned from the time I received the call.”
The national outpouring of song and dance in honour of Mandela’s life has moved Holomisa, who remained close to him despite being expelled from the African National Congress and setting up the rival United Democratic Movement.
“It reminds me of the day Mandela was released or, after his election, the day we inaugurated him as president. The mood is one of celebration and he would appreciate it as typical of him,” said Holomisa.
Dali Tambo, son of Mandela’s friend and ally Oliver Tambo, was woken by his son with the news at around midnight on Thursday. He went to Mandela’s home to find Machel, Madikizela-Mandela and other family members, relatives of the late Walter Sisulu, as well as President Jacob Zuma and several government ministers.
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