Hillary Clinton with Nelson Mandela

Remarks Following Meeting With Former President Nelson Mandela

Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Pretoria, South Africa

August 7, 2009

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The following is a transcript of the Secretary's comments following her meeting with former President Nelson Mandela this afternoon in Johannesburg, South Africa:
"I had a chance to see Madiba today. But I also got to see the archives and some of the archival material that is being displayed for the first time. And I saw with my own eyes the very careful recordkeeping that Madiba did do during his life which will be a treasure trove of information, of memories, of lessons and guidance that generations to come will be able to learn from. And to be there and to see the pictures of him as a young man and to know so much about his life, it of course inspires in me not only an even greater admiration for his publc work, but an even greater affection for the man. This was such a challenge that he bore and bore with such grace. And as he has often said, he kept improving on himself, which I think is a lesson for us all. And you can see that in the recordings of his days. What he was doing. What he was thinking. The discipline that he brought to a life filled with so many great achievements, not only for him personally but for South Africa and the world."