Johannesburg – Nelson Mandela’s office mourned US Senator Edward Kennedy yesterday, paying tribute to a “champion of democracy” for supporting the anti-apartheid struggle.

“We mourn, with his family, and the United States of America, the loss of a champion of democracy and civil rights,” said Nelson Mandela Foundation chief executive Achmat Dangor.

“He made his voice heard in the struggle against apartheid at a time when the freedom struggle was not widely supported in the West. We remain grateful for his role,” he said.

Dangor expressed regret on behalf of Mandela, the foundation and its board.

The ANC said: “He is remembered for having staged an ‘illegal protest’ (in 1985) outside Pollsmoor Prison where Nelson Mandela was held.”

Kennedy, who forced through US sanctions against the apartheid regime that year, was reported to have said at the time: “Behind these walls are men who are deeply committed to the cause of freedom in this land.”

Years later, Mandela said he knew Kennedy had been at the gate of the prison and that “gave us a lot of strength and hope, and the feeling that we had millions behind us both in our struggle against apartheid but in our special situation in prison”.

Kennedy, 77, died late on Tuesday at home in Massachusetts after fighting brain cancer for more than a year.

President Jacob Zuma said yesterday: “For South Africa, he became a comrade and a friend in the fight for liberation. This was because of his strong belief that all people are born equal and his nature, which did not allow him to rest in the face of injustice.”

He had served the American people with “passion and tenacity”.

“We grieve the loss of this great man, but the legacy of his contribution to this world will continue to serve as a sort of hope to us.”