Before the fall of apartheid December 16 was a Boer anniversary of a military victory over the Zulus.
On Reconciliation Day, the day after Mandela’s funeral the ANC went to the Union Buildings in Pretoria for the unveiling of a new nine-metre-high statue of the great man with his arms spread wide.
Referring to the statue President Jacob Zuma said: “He’s embracing the whole nation, he’s advancing to the nation and says let us come together, let us unite.”
This is the first statue of Mandela not to feature a raised fist of rebellion, a significant departure and one the ANC is hoping will set the tone for the years to come.
After a week of mourning the clean-up has begun around the country, with the dismantling of shrines, the collection of wilted flowers, and the debris from crowds of tens of thousands of mourners to sweep away.