In a brief statement less than an hour after the passing of former South African President Nelson Mandela was announced, President Obama called the legendary dissident "influential, courageous, and profoundly good," noting that "he achieved more than could be expected from any man." Obama recalled that his own very first political action was to protest South Africa's system of Apartheid, and pledged to learn from Mandela's legacy for the rest of his life. "He no longer belongs to us, he belongs to the ages," Obama said, urging those listening to "strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice."
