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'How Working For Nelson Mandela Changed My Life'

Zelda la Grange with Nelson Mandela.
Zelda la Grange with Nelson Mandela.

Zelda la Grange with Nelson Mandela.

As a teenager living in the town of Boksburg in the 1980s, Zelda la Grange enjoyed a typical, middle-class Afrikaner upbringing. Like many white South Africans, she never questioned the system of apartheid that divided her country. The laws that prevented blacks and whites marrying and forced black people to live in ghettos were accepted, even supported, and in 1992, she - like 875,000 other South Africans - voted in favour of retaining apartheid. But after applying for an admin job, she unexpectedly found herself working for a man she had once regarded as the enemy, but who soon became the most inspirational force in her life.

What did you know about Nelson Mandela?
[I first heard of him] the day he was released from prison [in 1990]. I was swimming and my father came out and told me, "The terrorist has been released." I remember asking who he meant and he said, "Nelson Mandela."

Growing up, how aware were you of the political situation?
I was totally unaware of what was happening politically. [My family] was middle class, but [we lived] in luxury compared to the poverty black people lived in. If you asked me at the age of 13 if I was a racist, I would have denied it. But now, with the privilege of hindsight, [I see] that was definitely the case.

You voted against ending apartheid in the 1992 referendum. Why?
As an Afrikaner, I was trying to protect our life of privilege, our "superiority" ... we were also seeing violence every day.

When did your world view begin to shift?
When I met Mr Mandela for the first time, two weeks into the job. He was the opposite of what I was brought up to believe. He extended a hand and greeted me in [Afrikaans]. From then, I started asking questions like: "Are all the things I've been taught really true?" I felt so guilty. I remember thinking this man is so loving and sincere. Why did we send him to jail?

What was Mandela like in person?
He always started the day with a smile, no matter how difficult the time was or how much pressure he was under. Whether it was greeting me, the tea lady or the head of our office, he treated us with equality, fairness, respect.

By 1999, you were assistant director of Mandela's office. What was a typical day like?
No two days were the same. It was 24/7. But I came to love the man. I cared for him because he cared for me.

Zelda la Grange.
Zelda la Grange.

Zelda la Grange.

Your job involved lots of travel and meetings with world leaders. Apparently, Mandela had a lovely relationship with the Queen ...
They shared a very warm relationship. He always called her by her first name, but at one point his wife [Graca Machel] said to him, "You can't call her Elizabeth!" His reply was, "But she calls me Nelson!" He respected the Queen greatly and recognised her humanity, and I think she appreciated that.

How did he interact with other famous people?
He didn't distinguish or treat people differently. Also Mr Mandela never watched movies, so he didn't know any Hollywood celebrities. When he met Brad Pitt, Brad was so gracious and wonderful. Mr Mandela asked him if he had a business card, but Brad said no, unfortunately he did not. So Mr Mandela asked, "Well, what do you do?" Brad replied, "I try acting for a living."

What do you think is the greatest lesson he taught you?
Respect. Respect for the enemy, respect for people who differ from you and respect for any living creature. One time we were staying in an estate outside London and his doctor and I went for a walk. We came across a small snake and killed it. When I returned [and told him], Mr Mandela was so angry! He asked, "Why did you do that? Did it pose a threat?"

What's something few people know about Mandela?
[Sometimes] he would raise his voice and get angry. When that happened, it made me jittery. But he was never angry at people, he was angry at a situation. He was also a stubborn person. Like, if he decided he wanted to go to a rural area and security advised him against it because of violence, he would say, "Security is your problem, it's not my problem. I want to go."

When did you last see him?
When I visited him in hospital [in July 2013]. He couldn't speak, but his smile told me he knew it was me. I tell people that emotionally, I am a billionaire. One person doesn't deserve to be as privileged as I was for knowing him so closely.

Good Morning, Mr Mandela by Zelda la Grange (Penguin, $39.99) is on sale from August 27.

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