Former president Nelson Mandela on Monday almost became a victim of Cape Town’s latest bout of stormy weather.
Guest of honour at an indoors function in the city centre, he narrowly missed being hit on the back of the head when the wind toppled a De Beers company banner bearing the legend ”A diamond is forever”.
The two-metre high banner was on a stand behind Mandela as he delivered a speech accepting De Beers’ donation of historic Rhodes House in the city centre to the Mandela-Rhodes Foundation.
Seconds after Mandela left the room in the company of De Beers chairman Nicky Oppenheimer, a gust from the gale raging outside blasted through a half-open window and toppled the banner, startling the handful of journalists and police still in the room. – Sapa