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Johannesburg - Former president Nelson Mandela was a global icon in whom the virtues of humility and selflessness were personified, the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) said on Friday.
"He was the embodiment of the struggle for freedom, equality and justice for all people, both black and white," Nafcoc president Joe Hlongwane said in a tribute.
"As black business, we have lost a friend, and we owe many of our successes over the years to his exemplary leadership in ensuring that black people take their rightful place in the commanding heights of the South African economy," he said.
Hlongwane said he was deeply saddened by Mandela's death at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, on Thursday night, and said it represented the loss of the father of the nation.
He said this generation had been fortunate to have had the blessing of Mandela's leadership.
During his first term as Nafcoc president, between 1994 and 1998, Hlongwane worked and travelled with Mandela to promote South Africa to the international investment community.
Sending his heartfelt condolences to the entire Mandela family, Hlongwane thanked the BaThembu clan for sharing him with the world.
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