Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis paid tribute to Former South African President Nelson Mandela during the opening of the Commonwealth Youth Games on Tuesday night.
The former president would have celebrated his 99th birthday on Tuesday.
He was remembered as pioneer in civil rights movements.
President Mandela was incarcerated for 27 years because of his beliefs
The Bahamas was among the countries that played a significant role in his eventual release, as a signatory to the Nassau Accord at the 1985 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Nassau.
In 1993, mr. Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in dismantling apartheid in South Africa.
The following year, he became his country’s first democratically elected president.
He used the nation’s enthusiasm for sports to promote reconciliation between whites and blacks, encouraging black South Africans to support the once-hated national rugby team.
President Mandela stepped down after serving a single term.
He died on December 5, 2013 at the age of 95.
