Despite \u201d\u201d or perhaps because of \u201d\u201d their long, shared and often tortured history, there is a curious fondness between some Britons and some South Africans. Two events this week, far-flung and disparate, illustrated some of the ambiguities, too.<\/p>\n
Indeed, it almost seemed as if South Africa\u2019s Jekyll-and-Hyde soul was weaving itself anew into the relationship, offering the conflicting visages that make any definition of Africa\u2019s 20-year-old \u201crainbow nation\u201d\u009d so elusive, particularly in a land that has, in turn, been its invader, its overlord and its champion.<\/p>\n
Here, in the soaring, august confines of Westminster Abbey, 2,000 congregants, including Prince Harry and Prime Minster David Cameron, assembled Tuesday for a memorial service to Nelson Mandela, who died in December. It fused liturgical solemnity and Anglican pomp with the light and sound of a Soweto gospel choir, feting the inclusive Mandela legacy in rousing renditions of both nations\u2019 anthems, \u201cNkosi Sikelel\u2019 iAfrika\u201d\u009d and \u201cGod Save the Queen.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n