ABOUT THE BOOK
"It is not our mistakes that define us, but how we learn from them ... I can't blame you if you can't forgive me. I struggle to forgive myself. But I have realised an act doesn't have to be forgiven in order for you to learn from it. I have learnt to speak about my mistakes so that others, too, may find courage to do so."
For almost two decades, Zelda la Grange stood beside former president Nelson Mandela as his closest assistant. With his death she had to face hard questions about herself and her life's purpose. Her mourning for Madiba was compounded by the loss of the South Africa he had envisaged as possibility and dreams died during former president Jacob Zuma's years. Tired and angry, La Grange sent off a barrage of extremely hurtful tweets, sparking a public outcry.
"Have you learnt nothing from Mr Mandela?" critics asked.
Deeply ashamed, La Grange set out to distil the lessons from her 19 years of first-hand experience at Madiba's side, observing his interactions with people ordinary and famous, including Hansie Cronjé and Bill Clinton.
In the memoir, she shares Madiba's teachings about humility, respect, honesty and the biases and blind spots we all have. It is only by truly listening — trying to understand, not listening only to respond — that we can overcome that distrust among us. La Grange also explores the toxicity of social media and how Mandela's lessons are equally relevant in the digital age.
Filled with wisdom and hope, the book invites each of us to honour Madiba's legacy by living with integrity. Because, as La Grange says, "he gave us the courage not to try to change those around us, but to change ourselves".
EVENT DETAILS
Joburg launch of ‘What Nelson Mandela Taught Me’ by Zelda la Grange
Join Anele Mdoda in conversation with La Grange at Exclusive Books Rosebank on October 8
Image: Supplied
ABOUT THE BOOK
"It is not our mistakes that define us, but how we learn from them ... I can't blame you if you can't forgive me. I struggle to forgive myself. But I have realised an act doesn't have to be forgiven in order for you to learn from it. I have learnt to speak about my mistakes so that others, too, may find courage to do so."
For almost two decades, Zelda la Grange stood beside former president Nelson Mandela as his closest assistant. With his death she had to face hard questions about herself and her life's purpose. Her mourning for Madiba was compounded by the loss of the South Africa he had envisaged as possibility and dreams died during former president Jacob Zuma's years. Tired and angry, La Grange sent off a barrage of extremely hurtful tweets, sparking a public outcry.
"Have you learnt nothing from Mr Mandela?" critics asked.
Deeply ashamed, La Grange set out to distil the lessons from her 19 years of first-hand experience at Madiba's side, observing his interactions with people ordinary and famous, including Hansie Cronjé and Bill Clinton.
In the memoir, she shares Madiba's teachings about humility, respect, honesty and the biases and blind spots we all have. It is only by truly listening — trying to understand, not listening only to respond — that we can overcome that distrust among us. La Grange also explores the toxicity of social media and how Mandela's lessons are equally relevant in the digital age.
Filled with wisdom and hope, the book invites each of us to honour Madiba's legacy by living with integrity. Because, as La Grange says, "he gave us the courage not to try to change those around us, but to change ourselves".
EVENT DETAILS
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