Recently retired former president Nelson Mandela brought the Umtata Magistrate’s Court to a standstill when he paid a surprise visit on Tuesday.
Mandela and an aide visited court ”A” where magistrate Shamintha Patan was presiding over a case.
”When he walked into my court I first thought it was my imagination that I was seeing Madiba. But when I looked over and over again I became convinced that it was indeed Madiba,” said Patan.
Mandela and his bodyguards stopped their car outside the court and he asked to be led to a courtroom.
The former president remained in court for about half-an-hour listening to the proceedings.
Patan said seconds after Mandela left her court she adjourned proceedings hoping to greet him formally, ”but he was swarmed by the people, I could not get closer”.
”I was really overwhelmed and honoured by his surprise visit to my court, it was more than just an honour,” she said.
The acting Chief Magistrate, DM Nomphandana, said his office had not been warned that Mandela would be visiting.
He said he gathered that even Mandela’s bodyguards had no idea that he would be coming to court.
Nomphandana joked that Madiba’s unexpected visit could have made him ”an ideal candidate” to charge with contempt of court.
Mandela’s bodyguards barred members of the media from speaking to him.
Police and bodyguards battled to clear the way for Madiba to proceed to his waiting car after leaving the courtroom. — Sapa