World is full of Madiba magic

28 June 2013 - 03:57

By NASHIRA DAVIDS

After being a prisoner for almost three decades, Nelson Mandela became free in a way few can rival .

According to the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory , the icon received 165 civic awards, honorary citizenships and freedoms of the city. Countless streets, parks, squares and gardens have been named after the 94-year-old.

There is even a small town in Lazio, Italy, called Mandela, with a population of about 900.

Mandela's name has been incorporated in the taxonomy of zoological finds.

Matjaz Kunter, of the Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and Gustavo Hormiga, of George Washington University, discovered a new species of spider that they named Singafrotypa Mandela.

"Gustavo and I described this species back in 2002 and named it in honour of Nelson Mandela's lifelong struggle to rid Africa of racism," said Kunter.

"We discovered a single specimen of this previously unknown form in a collection in the Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg."

A few months ago, Kunter found one of the spiders in Mozambique.

In New York, Madiba has united all races and ages in a universal love - food. Madiba Restaurant, in Brooklyn, was described as one of the most interesting places at which to eat in the US, said owner Mark Henegan.

"We have been fortunate to serve the likes of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and family members of Nelson Mandela," said Henegan, who is from Umhlanga.

"We have catered at events for the UN, the South African Consulate and SA Tourism," Henegan said, adding that he had overseen "braais in the Hamptons" and "weddings in Nicaragua".

According to the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory database, there is also:
A sea slug called Mandelia Micocornata, named by marine biologists Angel Vlades and Terry Gosliner;
A computer game in which Mandela "escapes Robben Island to free his daughter" Zindzi;
A landfill site in Georgetown, Guyana, in South America, that is named after Mandela;
Race horses and a nuclear particle are named after Madiba; and
A Venezuelan music group is called the Danzas Mandela.