Nelson Mandela Makes Rare Public Appearance on 20th Anniversary

South African President Jacob Zuma made a speech on Thursday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. According to Aljazeera.net, Mandela made a rare public appearance during Thursday’s parliament commemoration, which reportedly took place in Cape Town. Those who were in attendance expressed their admiration and gratitude for Mandela by singing the words, "Nelson Mandela, there is none like you.”

The 91-year-old Mandela, who infamously spent 27 years in prison on charges of sabotage for serving as an influential anti-apartheid activist, helped to lead South Africa through the transition from apartheid to democracy. President Zuma paid homage to Mandela throughout his speech and also called on South Africans to host the upcoming 2010 World Cup in his honor for everything that he has done to benefit South Africa.

President Zuma emphasized the importance of South Africa’s role as the host of the 2010 World Cup by saying, "The hosting of the FIFA World Cup makes 2010 truly a year of action. We have spent many years planning for this World Cup. And we are determined to make a success of it. President Mandela was central in assisting the country to win the rights to host this great event. We therefore have to make the World Cup a huge success in his honor.”