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The JSE pauses trade to mark the passing of South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela

December 09, 2013

6 December 2013 - JOHANNESBURG
As a sign of respect of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the financial services industry for former South African President Nelson Mandela, all JSE markets will be paused 5 minutes at 11am on Friday, 6 December 2013.
“Nelson Mandela’s global statesmanship made him one of the most revered leaders the world has known,” says JSE CEO Nicky Newton-King. “His attention to all he met, combined with his ability to listen and to understand those on the other side were just a few of the reasons that so many people in the world today have been influenced by Nelson Mandela, including some who were his former adversaries.”

JSE team recalls Nelson Mandela
“There weren’t many occasions that trading activity would simply halt on the JSE’s old open outcry floor,” says Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Chairman Humphrey Borkum, “but Nelson Mandela’s visits always had this effect. Incredibly, despite the adulation, his influence and place on the world stage, he remained humble with an easy grace with those around him.”

Borkum recalls several visits to the exchange by the former statesman, who passed away on 5 December 2013. “I was privileged to meet with Mr Mandela on several occasions, both when the exchange was in downtown Johannesburg and later, when it moved to Sandown. In each case he would take the time to greet and share a moment with every person he encountered.”

The former President’s respect for everyone he encountered is remembered also by Geoff Rothschild, Director of Government and International Affairs at the JSE. “Mr Mandela had an incredible mind, remembering my name and where he had met me, years after we first met. He was never a man to do what everyone else did. He set his own path and always did what he felt was right. He rejected the maltreatment of others, even while in prison. In his daily life, he did not want to be put on a pedestal. When visiting New York he walked the streets by himself, regardless of what security said. He commanded the upmost respect amongst everyone and this is clearly evident in the way the world perceives him today.”
Mr Mandela’s global statesmanship has made him one of the most revered leaders the world has known, says JSE CEO Nicky Newton-King. “His attention to all he met, combined with his ability to listen and to understand those on the other side were just a few of the reasons that so many people in the world today have been influenced by Nelson Mandela, including some who were his former adversaries.”

“The gift that Madiba gave me came in his statement ‘I am the President of every inch of this Country’. It allowed me to claim my full citizenship of South Africa. Enkosi Tata!” says Director of Issuer and Investor Relations, Zeona Jacobs.
Rothschild believes that there has been no leader of Mr Mandela’s ability in South Africa, or indeed in the world. “Mr Mandela was an inspiration to everyone. He placed a huge
importance on education, both for his personal growth, even when on Robben Island, and as a path to a better life for other South Africans,” says Rothschild.