Madiba: ‘n Uitsonderlike Roeping

Zelda la Grange was Nelson Mandela’s private secretary for nearly 20 years, accompanying him all over the world. From their first meeting, when he spoke Afrikaans to her and moved her to tears, to his last days, she was his constant companion, loyal employee and confidante. Now, she reflects on what made him the incredible man and statesman he was in this six-part documentary series.

“When you spend two decades of your life with somebody, and you lose them, it takes time to realise what impact that person’s life had on your own life and that of the rest of the world. This is the case with me and Nelson Mandela,” she says. With this in mind, she travels to the Eastern Cape to explore Madiba’s rural beginnings, and traces his long walk from there, to Johannesburg, to the hallways of power.

This fascinating series includes exclusive interviews with family, friends and celebrities including Graça Machel, chief Zwelivelile Mandela, Bono and Morgan Freeman.

The six-part documentary is broadcast in Afrikaans with English subtitles and will be streaming on Showmax at the same time it’s broadcast on kykNET.