Plaque unveiled in honour of Mandela in Villa Ada.

Rome has named a piazza in the Villa Ada park in honour of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president and the man who guided his country out of apartheid.

Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri on Tuesday unveiled a plaque hailing Mandela, who died in 2013, as "President of South Africa, anti-apartheid activist and man of peace".

South African ambassador Nosipho Nausca Jean Ngcaba, who attended the unveiling ceremony, said: "Mandela's release after 27 years in prison brought hope to South Africa and the world", adding: "The fight against apartheid and racism involved many here in Rome too, who came together in solidarity because racism is a threat not only to South Africa but to the world."

Intitolata a Nelson Mandela la piazza della penisola del laghetto di Villa Ada.

Inaugurata questa mattina dal sindaco Roberto Gualtieri alla presenza dell'ambasciatrice del Sudafrica Nosipho Nausca Jean Ngcaba la targa commemorativa.

info https://t.co/oHbSqbEVgV pic.twitter.com/KBQXeLaRIU

— Roma (@Roma) September 24, 2024

In a statement, Gualtieri described Mandela as "a heritage of humanity and a point of reference for all democrats in the world who believe in equality, fight discrimination and fight for a free and supportive world".

The mayor also recalled the "special relationship" between Rome and Mandela.

On 15 June 1990, four months after his release from jail, Mandela made a historic visit to Rome to collect his parchment of honorary citizenship conferred on him by Rome's city council in 1982 while he was imprisoned.

Photo credit: Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com.