The German Post and the South African Post Office have joined forces to
spread the Madiba magic. The two institutions had a bilateral stamp
issue on Wednesday, 18 July 2018, to commemorate the 100th birthday of the
first former statesman and global icon, Nelson Mandela.
The photograph for the South Africa stamp is from the Nelson Mandela
Foundation (NMF) Blue Media archives and the stamp was designed by
Rachel-Mari Ackermann of the SA Post Office (Sapo).
The German stamp photo was taken by Paul Weinberg, a South African who was
active in the anti-apartheid resistance movement. The stamp was designed by
André Heers and Annette le Fort.
The images and ¡§stories behind the stamps¡¨ on both stamp issues are quite
different from each other. The format and sizes are also not the same, the
SAPO said.
According to Ackermann, the NMF's slogan for the Nelson Mandela Centenary
2018 celebrations: ¡§Be the legacy¡¨, influenced her decision to portray him
at a late stage of his life as ¡§He will forever be a ¡¥father¡¦ to the South
African nation and inspires us to invest in the future of our children¡¨.
The warm colours reflect his personality; the gold lettering accentuates his
status as a treasure of the country, said Ackermann.
The German stamp features a photo of a relatively young Mandela taken three
days after his release from prison. It shows Nelson Mandela in profile,
looking upwards into the light with an expression of relief.
¡§The image captures a range of emotions, mainly hope and faith. His strength
and optimism are palpable. We think it is a beautiful image that aptly
encapsulates Nelson Mandela¡¦s life,¡¨ said André Heers and Annette le Fort.
They chose the colours of the flag of the democratic South Africa, for
their symbolic meaning. ¡§The vivid colours stand in sharp contrast to the
stamp¡¦s black-and-white background.¡¨
Another interesting feature of the stamp is the bold font used, known as
¡§Knockout¡¨. It was selected as it evoked feelings of warmth and also comes
in Featherweight, Middleweight, Heavyweight, among others.
The terms are used in boxing and Nelson Mandela was a keen boxer in his
young days.
The stamps are available from major post office branches and can be ordered
from sa.stamps@postoffice.co.za.
¡V Source: SAnews.gov.za |