I Remember Nelson Mandela

Sahm Venter is the senior researcher at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg where she has worked since 2006. She previously reported on the last years of the struggle against apartheid for South African and the international media. As a correspondent for the international news agency, The Associated Press, she covered the release from prison of Nelson Mandela, his presidency, as well as various news events on the African continent. In 2013 she and Swati Dlamini-Mandela co-edited Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's book 491 Days: Prisoner Number 1323/69. Vimla Naidoo was a protocol officer in the Office of President Nelson Mandela where she helped to set up events, including receiving ceremonies for visiting heads of state and the opening of parliament. She worked with President Mandela's Advisory Council for National Orders to design a new set of state honours. She remained in Protocol throughout President Mandela's term of office and for the first half of President Mbeki's term. In 2001 she moved to the Nelson Mandela Foundation as a personal assistant to Nelson Mandela and Mrs Graca Machel, to whom she provided personal support and logistics.