[This article was originally published on Madiba's 89th birthday, on 18 July 2007. We decided to revive it this year, as it says all we need to say.]
Today is the 90th birthday of the greatest South African of them all, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and from all of us at TVSA we wish him a very happy birthday and another 89 more.
Although he's better known as a cultural icon of freedom and equality than a television personality, Madiba has made numerous iconic appearances on our boxes over the years.
Our first image of him after his release from prison in 1990 was the live television coverage of his first steps as a free man in 27 years, when he exited the Victor Verster prison in Paarl before travelling to Cape Town to address a rally.
He made history on 10 May 1994 when he was sworn in as the first black president of South Africa, and once again the television cameras recorded every moment.
Another iconic image was when he stood next to Francois Pienaar, cheering as the Springbok captain raised the World Cup in 1995, signifying the greatest bonding moment in our nation's history.
Since he stepped down from office in 1999 he has still made numerous television appearances, although as of 2004 these have been kept to a minimum.
If you're an avid TV watcher, however (which we know you are), you may well have spotted him in numerous local and international drama series.
Some of his appearances have been pretty small, and you may have missed him. So we're going to bring you up to scratch on Madiba's secret passion: television acting.
To celebrate his birthday, here are some examples of his work:
1. Prison Break IIIn his feverish pursuit of the escaped Fox River cons, Mad Agent Mahone kept a whiteboard up in his office with various clippings and diagrams to help him figure out how to catch them.
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have spotted Madiba on that board in this close-up from a recent episode:
The plot thickens, does it not? What's that damn Scofield up to?
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2. HeroesIn this iconic scene we see Hiro back on the underground in Tokyo after teleporting back following the nuclear blast in New York.
Spot Madiba on the side, and note the intensity of his gaze. Clearly he knows something we don't - his gaze is almost as freaky as that of the mysterious Haitian.
Could Madiba be Sylar?
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3. Idols IVHe thought he could out-fox us on this one, but our ever-snooping cameras spotted the man himself hanging out in the crowd at the recent Jozi Idols auditions.
The dude in the brown jacket is clearly the life and soul of the party, but Madiba doesn't need to impress anyone - a thorough professional.
We can't wait to see whether he got through to the next round or not, but if not don't worry, Madiba - you're still
our Idol...
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4. Rhythm CityHere's sweet Thembi chatting on the phone in this new "daily drama" from e.tv. No sign of Madiba, is there?
But what is Thembi looking at so avidly on her laptop screen? It's like she's seen a ghost, but no, folks - it's no ghost. It's - you guessed it - Madiba!
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5. The Real GobozaFinally, this isn't a drama show but we thought you'd get a kick out of it anyway - in the middle of an interview our very own Brown Shuga is surprised to find herself being watched by a familiar face that has just emerged from the darkness of the night.
She gamely continues her interview, ignoring the extreme pressure of Madiba's piercing stare. We hear later that he was just trying to freak her out so she would fluff her lines.
That's some sinister *bleep!* he's up to - we love it! Dark, baby!
So there you have it - some iconic moments from Madiba's budding television career.
We wish you the best, Mr. President, and allow us to say we can't wait to see you in the new season of Battlestar Galactica. We hear you kick some serious Cylon ass!
Imini emandi kuwe, Madiba!