Other gifts from famous Mandela fans include a yellow and black pottery bowl from former British prime minister Tony Blair‚ which Madiba was reported to have loved‚ as well as cigars and rum from Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
In 2010‚ when South Africa hosted the Soccer World Cup‚ there was no surprise at what was at the top of his present list – vuvuzelas.
Gifts from ordinary South Africans were often children’s hand-drawn paintings‚ as well as items suitable for an elderly gentleman such as socks and blankets. In the mid-2000s‚ a Roodeport woman made a sand painting in a bottle of the view of Table Mountain from Robben Island‚ using sand from the island.
Madiba’s response to that was not publicly recorded. We also wonder what his unguarded response was to a “gift” from supermodel Naomi Campbell: In April 2000‚ she announcing she was stripping for GQ magazine on condition that her payment went to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.