Pietermaritzburg woman and recipient of the Mandela Scholarship Aalia Ismail was overwhelmed after meeting with former president Nelson Mandela.

Mandela in Johannesburg yesterday. She told the Witness that she used the opportunity to thank Mandela for “giving us a chance to be the young Madiba's of tomorrow”.

Ismail was one of 20 students who were congratulated by Mandela on receiving the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship to further their studies. On her way back to Cape Town where she is studying, Ismail said meeting Mandela was a “ momentous occasion”. “ He is the most amazing person, it was humbling to meet a man with so much power yet so humble, “she said.

Ismail was bowled over by Madiba's love for his wife Grace Machel. Mandela, wearing colorful green silk shirt, spent a few minutes with each of the 20 students swopping stories about their backgrounds and what they planned to study “throughout the world, nobody can take leadership of the country without an education, “he told one of the students..

Madiba shook Nyika Machenjedze's hand, a master student from the University of Fort Hare and said he had also studied there. He amusedly added that he had not graduated, though, because he had been expelled.

The class of 2007 – the biggest class yet – comprises students from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, for the first time.

Shaun Johnson, chief executive of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, said it was the “nicest day of the year” for the foundation when Mandela got to meet the scholars. “... it is extremely exciting identifying and nurturing the next generation of young leaders”.