Mandela Day reflection: How a nation came together outside a hospital

In 2013, I was a reporter for Pretoria News, and on the morning of Saturday, June 8, I was one of the first journalists to arrive at the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria after we heard that former president Nelson Mandela had been admitted. 

That morning marked the beginning of one of the most significant assignments of my career. I spent weeks outside the hospital, working some nights from 6pm to 6am, watching for updates, family visits, and any unusual activity.

Media crews from across the world, such as the BBC, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, and The New York Times, among others,  gathered outside the hospital, eager for an update on anything other than “critical but stable,” which had been the only comment from the then-presidential spokesperson, Mac Maharaj.

Photographers lined the streets while TV crews filmed short updates every hour and reporters filed from the sidewalk.

Children from schools across Tshwane brought drawings and handmade cards, and the hospital’s signboard became a ‘whiteboard’ filled with messages of hope and love. Balloons, posters, flowers, and handwritten notes lined the sidewalk and the hospital's walls.

Mandela spent his 95th birthday in hospital that year and unknowingly, once again united the country, just as he had done during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. People of all backgrounds came together in prayer and shared stories of hope as they waited for his recovery.

When Mandela was discharged on September 1 that year, it felt like the end of a chapter that the entire country had lived through together.

While I never had the opportunity to meet him, standing on that sidewalk each day, surrounded by messages of hope and support, reminded me of the powerful impact he had on South Africa and the world.

Although I only played a small part in keeping the nation informed during that time, it was a privilege. It  was more than just a story, it was a moment in history I will always remember.