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Nelson Mandela’s great-grandson visits New Brunswick

WATCH ABOVE: The Mandela family legacy of political advocacy lives on through his descendants. His great-grandson is on a tour of New Brunswick and Ontario to promote cultural inclusion in political affairs worldwide. Megan Yamoah has more – Apr 4, 2019

The great-grandson of Nelson Mandela is taking a tour New Brunswick and Ontario to promote cultural inclusion in political affairs worldwide.

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Siyabulela Mandela, whose great-grandfather was an iconic South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, was in Fredericton Wednesday doing what he refers to as unofficial diplomatic work: speaking on social justice, equality and the resurgence of racism in politics.

“People are talking about closing borders and people talking about building the walls. I think as communities, we have a collective responsibility to offer a different narrative and that narrative will be a narrative of reconciliation,” he said.

“Instead of looking at the things that divide us as a human race, it’s high time we look at things that unite us.”

Mandela spent early April touring eastern Canada, creating a conversation of acceptance through immigration and race integration.

“He’s living with his grandfather’s legacy but also he’s forging his own path” said Janet Thompson-Price, an attendee at his immigration summit in Fredericton.

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“Coming from war-torn Bosnia, I can really appreciate Mr. Mandela’s stance on international and domestic conflict resolution,” said Ksenia Sehic, a resident of Fredericton.

Education Minister Dominic Cardy met with Mandela to exchange ideas on peaceful co-existence. Cardy gave him a tour of his former school, Fredericton High, and he met with Premier Blaine Higgs.

“We have some similarities here: New Brunswick with the long history of tensions we’ve had between First Nations communities, between French and English,” said Cardy.

WATCH: Jim Coleman, grandson of legendary hero of the Halifax Explosion

South Africa will choose a new president May 8, and when Mandela returns home he will assist with election campaigning.

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“I’m going to join forces with the leaders of the African National Congress as we do door-to-door and we visit different communities and motivate our people to come out and make their voices heard through the ballot,” said Mandela.

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