In the late 1980's I joined the City Group Anti Apartheid Group's 24 hour non stop picket outside the South African Embassy in Trafalgar Square for the freedom of Nelson Mandela. (That's me above with the megaphone)

I would take part in the organisation of the picket for two years, enduring, with my comrades and fellow activists, all sorts of attacks and insults from racists and members of the White South African Embassy staff and intelligence.

Years later in 1993, I was asked to join a trade union delegation as a photographer and member of the NUJ, investigating human rights abuses against the Kurds in Turkey.

We spent 2 weeks in the so called 'emergency region' or Kurdistan where the Turkish army were systematically burning Kurdish villages and carrying out extra judicial killings of Kurdish activists and journalists.

The experience changed my life and when I returned I dedicated my self to raising awareness and support for the struggle of the Kurdish people fighting the most brutal oppression by the Turkish state.

I returned to Trafalgar Square many years later when Nelson Mandela was making a state visit to the UK. I was giving out leaflets with information about the situation of the Kurds in Turkey and trying to make contacts.

Mandela was to make a speech at South Africa House and then was to make the short journey to Buckingham Palace in a limousine via the Admiralty Arches below to visit the Queen.




Trafalgar Square was jam packed with people and there was going to be no way I was going to get anywhere near the South African Embassy to see Mandela but I was desperate just to catch a glimpse of my inspirational hero or rather my 'God' or 'Jesus' here on earth!

I knew he was going to go to Buckingham Palace and assumed, rightly, he would travel via the Mall and Admiralty Arches, so I made my way through the crowds to the Admiralty Arches that were blocked and barricaded by lines of police vans bumper to bumper in front of the arches.

I had an idea. I looked around and took my chance.

After checking the coast was clear, I quickly jumped up onto the bumpers of the police vans and squeezed my way through, walking on the van's bumpers and jumped down on the other side, down into the inside of the arches where there was absolutely nobody at all.

It was completely empty and not a soul there as on both sides the police vans had purposefully blocked access.

I was in a prohibited zone!

My heart began to pump as I felt incredibly nervous that: 1) If the police found me here now they may treat me as a potential assassin or someone who had bad intentions to Mandela and: 2) The thought that, potentially, if everything went as I hoped, I may get to see my hero drive through the arches and catch a glimpse of him if everything went okay.

I could never in a million years of predicted what was about to happen!

I waited a nervous 10 minutes when suddenly a batch of police outriders on motor cycles drove through the arches at speed. I ducked behind the post of the arch.

I thought he must be on his way but hoped I was in the right place. My heart was pumping with nervous excitement!

Then slowly, the front of a large black limousine started to appear right at the post of the arch I was standing behind inside the arches.

And as the back window of the car came right up level to my face, inches from my face in fact, I was suddenly staring right into the startled eyes of the back seat passenger,  Nelson Mandela!

He was clearly not expecting someone to be inside the arches and jumped with surprise when he saw me. He was now right next to me on the right hand side of the car, face to face! Literally arms length away or even closer!


The car was moving slowly and I beamed at him and held up my fist in the air and shouted out loudly and clearly mouthed the word, "Amandla!"

He looked right back at me straight into my eye, there was not one single other person under that arch apart from me and the biggest Mandela smile broke out on his face as he raised and clenched his right hand and exclaimed, "Ngwethu!"

And with that he was gone.

On his way to have tea with the Queeen of England leaving me under those arches in tears and disbelief at what had just happened.

Me and Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela underneath the arches!

My Madiba Moment is one of the greatest moments in my life and one I will cherish for the rest of my life.

He will continue to inspire and guide me for the rest of my life!

I am grateful for sharing time on this planet with this extraordinary man!

Amandla!

Anything is possible!

Now for the freedom of Abdullah Ocalan and the Kurdish people!