Sowetans packed the Jabulani Stadium beyond capacity yesterday, waiting for Mandela. The stadium trembled as over 35 000 people stamped their feet and sang "Mandela sabela ubabizwa" (Mandela, answer - you are being called). A police helicopter flew over the stadium and the crowd thudded in unison: "ANC, ANC, ANC..." almost drowning out the sound of the hovering aircraft. 

One by one the different regions of Soweto arrived in the stadium, each bringing its own song to add to the mosaic of sounds that rang out into the blue sky. And each brought with them a flag in the colours of the African National Congress, bearing the name of the Soweto region represented. Molapo and Mndeni were among the flags hoisted. All wore broad smiles and feelings of victory. Flags were on sale at the gate. The ANC Youth League charged R3 per flag, and these disappeared like hot potatoes. The ANC 's colours dominated the scenery as women, men and children appeared out of the streets of Soweto dressed in black, green and gold. 

People carrying the front pages of yesterday's papers bearing the headlines "Mandela Free Today", mounted on cardboards and sticks, waved around for all to get the message Plastic flowers in the colours of the ANC and the South African Communist Party circulated in the crowd. Then there were the flags of notable creativity. One read: "Africa is like a sleeping lion, beautiful but when it wakes up it is dangerous." Symbolising the continuing commitment to armed struggle, the youth carried toy guns and imitated the sounds made by a rifle as they danced and sang. 

Freedom songs were sung jubilantly - even in the current spirit of negotiations, the inherent militancy of the songs remained. When the crowd sang "uTambo uy abuya" (Tambo is coming back), it sounded possible, even likely. The master of ceremonies, an activist of the South African Youth Congress (Sayco), Iphrahim Nkwe, told the crowd to sing so that even Mandela could hear as he walked out of Victor Verster Prison. It was a day of much rhetoric. But it blended so well with the real significance of the day that no speaker need have said anything - the people of Soweto had said it all and they had said it loud and clear: We support the ANC and we are overjoyed that we are soon to set our eyes on Nelson Mandela. At exactly three o'clock the crowd which could no longer be contained by the bursting stadium, was asked to stand to sing the national anthem as Mandela took his first steps out of Victor Verster. More than 35 thousand people rose and as many fists went up against the sky. 

The national anthem was sung and some people, particularly women, were in tears. Small children stood with both arms up - one with a flag and the other with a little clenched fist. Even the crippled, the blind and the deaf came out in the hope of hearing or seeing Mandela. There were some harsh words thrown at State President FW De Klerk by the youth leadership. Nkwe said that while the youth welcomed · the steps taken by De Klerk they were not enough. Another youth leader said it was a "known fact" that many of South African youths were members of the ANC's military wing Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), and he said that as youth they were concerned about the government's vagueness about criteria for the return of exiles, particularly those who had taken up arms in exile. 

Sayco speakers demanded prisoner of - war status for those cadres of MK who were serving sentences and were on death row. They told the crowd apartheid was still intact and reminded De Klerk that the South African community was at war with itself. The crowd was also told that State President FW de Klerk was still committed to the principles of the Nationalist Party. "Nelson Mandela is going to walk out a free man today and it will be because of your struggles that he will be back to lead us again," Nkwe told the gathering. As he spoke and the crowds cheered "Viva!", bugles sounded from the audience. And slogans like "Long live the spirit of no surrender!" and "No compromise!" rang out. The day was also graced by various cultural performances. Gumboot dancers acted out the lives of mine workers as the gleeful crowd cheered. Drum majorettes in black, green and gold, with little male drummers the same size as the drums they beat, also performed. 

But the highlight of the afternoon was when released Rivonia trialist Andrew Mlangeni appeared in the crowd - looking magnificent and waving his clenched fist at the thousands assembled. He delivered a speech in which he pleaded with people to strengthen their structures. While waiting for guidance from the ANC, he said, they should continue "as if the ANC had not been banned". Mlangeni also brought the crowd a message from Oliver Tambo, the ailing president of the ANC: "The struggle must go on." He told the crowds: "I can see it in your faces that you have become very thirsty for freedom." 

He appealed to the crowd to receive Mandela in the most dignified manner possible. As the crowd moved out of the stadium, it began to rain. But this did not deter jubilant Sowetans from streaming out into the streets. All roads led the crowd to Mandela's house in Orlando. Cars were stopped as youths appealed for lifts and hung out of doors and windows, shaking clenched fists and shouting "Viva!" " The hooting of cars sounded like one continuous scream as taxis and cars negotiated their way through toyi-toying crowds. Near Diepkloof, a group of chickens was scattered by passing residents and one said: ''Today in Soweto even the chickens are doing the toyitoyi."

This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.