Three sisters get special meeting with Mandela

Former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, touched the lives of three sisters who had tried to meet him but had been chased away by security officers. The incident occurred on Friday night at the $1,000 per plate dinner held in his honour by Concacaf at the Centre of Excellence at Macoya. Three young sisters — Maria, Raquel and Rachel Lutchmedial — had come to the dinner with their parents when they decided to ask Mandela for his autograph.

Despite a tight security, the three girls approached the head table to try to get close to Mandela. But security officers chased them off. Yet Mandela himself saw what was happening and he personally intervened. He instructed his guards to go and seek out the girls and bring them to see him. Minutes later Centre Administrator, Ken Emrith, escorted the girls to meet Mandela. They asked him for his autograph. Mandela smiled and starting scribbling. In fact he let the girls spend about eight minutes talking with him. Others on the head table continued eating dinner. Sunday Newsday understands that at least one of the girls had been given a school project to do on Mandela, and that this had encouraged them to approach the icon.