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| U2 frontman Bono with Nelson Mandela. |
Los Angeles - U2 frontman Bono has
paid tribute to Nelson Mandela by writing an essay on the late anti-apartheid
revolutionary.
The 53-year-old singer, who along
with his bandmates contributed the song Ordinary Love to the biopic Mandela:
Long Walk to Freedom - based on the former South African President's
autobiography of the same name - penned an extended piece on the anti-apartheid
leader, who died on Thursday night aged 95, after hearing of his passing.
In 1051-word essay for Time magazine
entitled The Man Who Could Not Cry, Bono - who has helped try to end
global poverty for a number of years - described Mandela as a "forceful
presence" in his life since 1979.
He wrote: "As an activist I
have pretty much been doing what Nelson Mandela tells me since I was a
teenager. He has been a forceful presence in my life going back to 1979, when
U2 made its first anti-apartheid effort.
"Over the years we became
friends. I, like everyone else, was mesmerised by his deft maneuvering as
leader of South Africa.
"It certainly fell to Mandela
to be great. His role in the movement against extreme poverty was critical. He
worked for a deeper debt cancellation, for a doubling of international
assistance across sub-Saharan Africa, for trade and private investment and
transparency to fight corruption.
"Without his leadership, would
the world over the past decade have increased the number of people on Aids
medication to 9.7 million and decreased child deaths by 2.7 million a year?
Without Mandela, would Africa be experiencing its best decade of growth and
poverty reduction? His indispensability can't be proved with math and metrics,
but I know what I believe..."
Other tributes from the music industry
Several other stars from the music
industry have also paid tribute to the late leader - who battled to overcome
apartheid in South Africa and win equal rights for black people, which saw him
jailed between 1962 and 1990 - including Rihanna.
She wrote on Instagram: "One of
the greatest men who's ever lived!!! #LegendWe will never forget the things
this man has taught us, and we will never truly comprehend the level of
strength that it took for him to endure many of his years!! Thank you #Mandela
(sic)"
She added on Twitter:
"#NelsonMandela you made your people proud!! We'll always love you for it!
(sic)"
LL Cool J tweeted: "Nelson
Mandela. What a difference one person can make. #RestEternally (sic)"
Singer Aretha Franklin said:
"What a sad day that such a great man has passed on and moved on up a
little higher. Most extraordinary was how he rose above his being imprisoned
and exalted himself above apartheid and hatred to unite the country, an
unbelievable example of humanitarianism and courage."
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