The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) will\u00a0pause trade for 5 minutes at 11am on Friday, 6 December 2013, as a sign of respect, following the passing of\u00a0former South African President Nelson Mandela.<\/p>\n
\u201cNelson Mandela\u2019s global statesmanship made him one of the most revered leaders the world has known,\u201d said JSE CEO Nicky Newton-King. \u201cHis attention to all he met, combined with his ability to listen and to understand those on the other side were just a few of the reasons that so many people in the world today have been influenced by Nelson Mandela, including some who were his former adversaries.\u201d<\/p>\n
JSE team recalls Nelson Mandela<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThere weren\u2019t many occasions that trading activity would simply halt on the JSE\u2019s old open outcry floor,\u201d said Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) chairman Humphrey Borkum, \u201cbut Nelson Mandela\u2019s visits always had this effect. Incredibly, despite the adulation, his influence and place on the world stage, he remained humble with an easy grace with those around him.\u201d<\/p>\n Borkum recalls several visits to the exchange by the former statesman, who passed away on 5 December 2013. \u201cI was privileged to meet with Mr Mandela on several occasions, both when the exchange was in downtown Johannesburg and later, when it moved to Sandown. In each case he would take the time to greet and share a moment with every person he encountered.\u201d<\/p>\n The former President\u2019s respect for everyone he encountered is remembered also by Geoff Rothschild, director of Government and International Affairs at the JSE. \u201cMr Mandela had an incredible mind, remembering my name and where he had met me, years after we first met. He was never a man to do what everyone else did.<\/p>\n “He set his own path and always did what he felt was right. He rejected the maltreatment of others, even while in prison. In his daily life, he did not want to be put on a pedestal. When visiting New York he walked the streets by himself, regardless of what security said. He commanded the upmost respect amongst everyone and this is clearly evident in the way the world perceives him today.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Mandela\u2019s global statesmanship has made him one of the most revered leaders the world has known, said JSE CEO Nicky Newton-King. \u201cHis attention to all he met, combined with his ability to listen and to understand those on the other side were just a few of the reasons that so many people in the world today have been influenced by Nelson Mandela, including some who were his former adversaries.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe gift that Madiba gave me came in his statement \u2018I am the President of every inch of this Country\u2019. It allowed me to claim my full citizenship of South Africa. Enkosi Tata!\u201d said director of issuer and investor relations, Zeona Jacobs.<\/p>\n Tributes pour in following Mandela\u2019s passing<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore on the JSE and Nelson Mandela<\/h3>\n