The day Nelson Mandela held my baby daughter: Your memories of his visit to Wales

On June 16, 1998, Wales welcomed one of the world’s most famous and inspirational leaders.
Memories of that day in Cardiff were shared as people reflected on Nelson Mandela’s visit to Cardiff.
Mr Mandela’s arrival in the city that day to accept the Freedom of the City saw thousands of people turn out to welcome him.
One of those people was Jane Harding who held up her six-week-old baby daughter Martha when she saw Mr Mandela.
Ms Harding, 50, said: “He took her from my arms and kissed her on her head
.

Martha Harding with her mother Jane and grandmother Jo

Andrew James

 "He said to me she’s going to wonder when she is older why she was kissed by an ugly old man.’
"I said ‘no, she’s going to wonder why she was kissed by a wonderful man’.”
Ms Harding, from Roath in Cardiff, said she has always believed Martha, who is now 15, was blessed that day.
She said: “It was this lovely event. I was elated, it was an extraordinary thing to have happened.”

Martha Harding, who was held by Nelson Mandela during his visit to Wales in 1998

Andrew James

Jayne Evans, from Penarth, was on her lunch break in Cardiff when she saw Mandela.
She said: “There was a big crowd gathered in a circle outside the Park Hotel and the street was cordoned off. I stopped to see who they were waiting for and when I heard it was Nelson Mandela, I had to stay.
“He came out and walked down the steps, then started going around the circle one by one. They walked him around slowly and although the crowd was three or four deep, he stopped to shake everyone’s hand.
“He had a lovely big smile and it was as though he was only there to see you. He made a special effort to get around everyone - even though there must have been hundreds of people there at the time.
“I’ll never forget it and I feel very, very honoured and privileged that I was there.”
Flags were lowered to half-mast in locations across Wales yesterday and books of condolence were set up for people to sign.
Cardiff North AM Julie Morgan was a member of the anti-apartheid movement and took part in demonstrations and marches in South Wales.
Signing the condolence book at Cardiff’s City Hall yesterday, she said Mr Mandela meant so much to Wales and inspried her to be in politics.
Betty Campbell, former headteacher of Mount Stuart School in Butetown, Cardiff and Wales’ first black headteacher, said: “You realise that Nelson Mandela was a world figure but he also had a great influence on schools like mine and young children.”
Mrs Campbell said he left a fantastic legacy to generations of yonger black people and said he also had a great impression on her own life. She heard him speak in London and said his voice was “mesmirising”.
Uzo Iwobi, chief executive of Race Council Cymru, said Mr Mandela’s “indefatigable spirit and commitment” to creating a more just, equal and fair society still has an impact in Wales today.
She said: “It is now up to all of us living here to ensure his lasting legacy and there is no tribute more fitting to his memory than to continue his lifelong commitment to ending oppression and injustice.
“Race Council Cymru is steadfast in its commitment to work towards a Welsh nation that is free from prejudice and racial discrimination. We pay tribute to Mr Mandela (Madiba) and we pledge to honour the huge contribution and sacrifice he made by working to fulfill his vision of a truly equal society.