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Tribute to Madiba: Sad farewell to Tata Madiba

Tribute to Madiba: Sad farewell to Tata Madiba

Date: 2013-12-13
The Market Theatre Foundation mourns the death of President Nelson Mandela

Our loss is deep, our mourning is public. The day our great nation dreaded has finally dawned on us, paying us an unwanted visit.

The Market Theatre Foundation was founded in the depths of the apartheid era - a system only a few can deny its horrors, which tore deep, divided families, maimed and killed so many whilst we were in pursuit of our Freedom. With our stages, the Market Theatre Foundation became a platform for artists and our communities to consume, share and liberate our country.

Our stages today remain iconic to the era of their founding, the era of their purpose - to liberate a country and a people. We have defined the present times to honour that heritage and link it to the future - through our Cultural Revolution. Where our artistic brilliance speaks to our communities, our people in historical, present and future circumstances can help find themselves.

This Cultural Revolution honours the greatness and embodies the spirit of President Nelson Mandela. His forthrightness, regal sense of purpose and brilliant accomplishments within our lifetime inspire us to do more, often with less.

Mandela understood that exclusion from education was a major limiting factor to development. He said education was "the most powerful weapon with which you can change the world".

The Market Theatre Foundation remains committed to his legacy and continues to provide a platform for developing performing artists and photographers through the Market Laboratory and the Market Photo Workshop.

At this moment in our history and in our pursuit of total liberation - we recommit ourselves to the ideals of our founding statesman.

We open the Market Theatre Foundation as a platform to celebrate, reflect and mourn the passing including the meaning of President Mandela to us and the world. Our flags will fly at half mast, but our hearts will be filled with both sadness and pride - that he is one of us, we are one with him.

All our staff, arts practitioners, friends of the Market Theatre Foundation, will have a space in our theatre to engage and console each other until the funeral. As artists we would create the atmosphere of our send off - the best way we know, through creativity.

Hamba Kahle President Nelson Mandela

Kwanele Gumbi
Chairman of Council