Nelson Mandela has been in and out of hospital regularly these last few months. He is an aged man, statesman and family man. Usually for a man of that age one sits back and says, he has lived a good life, a good age, but in his case one is acutely aware of the years of his imprisonment.

I have met him on more than one occasion. He is so very tall. Cheeky. Endearing sense of humour. Such a warm man. He radiates warmth. You actually cannot resist his charm.

My most humour filled encounter was at a Queen’s Birthday celebration at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Pretoria, South Africa. Being a ‘locally engaged’ member of staff heading up the trade and industry public affairs section, one was expected to kind of not rock the boat by hogging ‘Mandela Time’. Under the watchful eyes of the UK diplomats (dips…