SOUTH AFRICA: Former president Nelson Mandela celebrates his birthday with South Africa's children

Nelson Mandela took time out to celebrate his 89th birthday with children at his annual children's party on Tuesday (July 24) as birthday tributes continued to pour in for South Africa's anti-apartheid icon. The party, celebrated every year since 1995, was held at the premises of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, and saw Mandela receive birthday cards, messages and presents from excited children. Among the presents was a montage of painted birthday messages signed by children from around Africa, with an inscription from Mandela's nobel peace prize acceptance speech on the freedom of children. At his side Graca Machel, with whom he celebrated a ninth wedding anniversary last week, pulled a four-year-old boy onto her lap. "I love Mandela because he helped us get our own freedom and that's why I think he is a great man and I love him," said Khutso Mlahleki. This year's theme was African children and reclaiming their dignity. Around 300 children and youth were invited to the party, including children from the Salvation Army in Soweto.

ITN Source | July 24, 2007

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