Johannesburg – Former President Nelson Mandela’s spirit is still strong even though he is sick, his daughter Makaziwe Mandela said on Tuesday.

“That spirit is still very, very strong, even if he is sick on his bed,” she said at the launch of the Nelson Mandela Opus in Johannesburg.

“The story of Tata’s life has to be repeated and told over and over again, so we don’t forget who we are.”

The opus is a publication chronicling the life and times of the anti-apartheid icon.

Iconic story

Opus Media CEO Karl Fowler said 50% of the book, which measured half-a-metre and weighed 37kg, was material that had not been seen before.

“An opus is about telling iconic and great stories, and hopefully telling the stories that have never been told before by using great photography.”

He said the Nelson Mandela Opus was the biggest opus the company had made and each book was hand-stitched.

“This story has to be told, it must be told,” Fowler said.

Also present at the launch, which was held at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg, were Mandela’s wife Graça Machel, his grandson Ndaba Mandela, other members of the family, and Public Service Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.

Sisulu, who gave the keynote speech, pledged to make history compulsory in all schools.

“People are defined by where they come from… I pledge to all of you that in my position in government I will fight to make sure that history be made a compulsory subject so that children always understand who we are and what we have been through,” she said.

“This book [the opus] will be the first book to be taught in schools when I succeed.”

– SAPA