President Barack Obama called Nelson Mandela, who died last week, as the last great liberator of the 20th century, "urging the world to carry on his legacy by fighting inequality, poverty and discrimination," The Associated Press reported. Obama spoke on Tuesday at Mandela's memorial ceremony at the half-filled First National Bank soccer stadium, also known as Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Obama compared Mandela to Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King.
"Nothing he achieved was inevitable. In the arc of his life, we see a man who earned his place in history through struggle and shrewdness, persistence and faith. He tells us what's possible not just in the pages of dusty history books, but in our own lives as well," said Obama.
"We, too, must act on behalf of peace. There are too many of us who happily embrace Madiba's legacy of racial reconciliation, but passionately resist even modest reforms that would challenge chronic poverty and gowing inequality," the president added, referring to Mandela by his clan name.
"Mandela had changed both laws and hearts, inspiring those around him by reconciling with the jailers who kept him prisoner for 27 years. In trusting others despite the injustices he suffered, Mandela showed that the cruelty of the past must be confronted with truth, generosity and inclusion," The AP reported.
"He was not a bust made of marble. He was a man of flesh and blood," Obama said.
Thabo Mbeki, the former South African president who succeeded Mandela was also in attendance. French President Francois Hollande and his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy arrived together.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined thousands of others "who sang praise for Mandela, seen by many South Africans as the father of the nation," as reported by The Associated Press.
