He was only 15 years-old in 1991 when his grandfather, Nelson Mandela, was released from prison, after serving 27 years for his defiant fight against Apartheid South Africa.

He does not recall much of growing up Mandela, because during the imprisonment of his grandfather, the Apartheid government hunted and imprisoned anyone considered a danger to its stranglehold on power in the Black majority country.

It was not safe to be known as Mandela, Sisulu or Tambo.

So, Prince Cedza Dlamini, the son of Nelson and Winnie Mandela’s older daughter Zenani, grew up in Swaziland with his father, who is the older brother of the king of that country.

Thirty year-old Dlamini, who is special guest of the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) at their 68th annual conference, which is in its final day today, sees a number of similarities between Jamaica and South Africa. One that stands out most for him, he says, is the comparability of his grandmother Winnie Mandela and PNP president and Jamaican prime minister Portia Simpson Miller.

“She is very loving, kind, and very supportive,” he says of his grandmother. “She is the queen of hearts among South African women and other women on the continent. She is a very strong person and a great part of her legacy is her connection to the poor and suffering, just like I see in Portia Simpson Miller.”

He describes his grandfather as a king in his own right, one who has come to be revered even more for his generosity of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Dlamini remembers that it was during the imprisonment of his grandfather that Winnie Mandela came to the fore as a leader.

“A strong woman leader emerged in my grandmother. She stepped up to the plate and said, despite the absence of my husband, despite the men who are there, I will provide leadership and feminine strength, not only for the family, but also for the country,” he recalls.

Winnie Mandela, while remaining out of jail, was under house arrest at different periods in the 27 years, as she raised her two young daughters and carried on her husband’s legacy in the African National Congress and its fight to end Apartheid.

“To hear from her directly, and the people who were around her at that time, it must have taken incredible strength to wake up every day after you are beaten or after you are arrested and still carry on the struggle,” he says.

It was a struggle that was waged across the world, especially here in Jamaica where former prime minister Michael Manley became one of the world’s most outspoken critics of the racist regime.

Prince Dlamini recalls how his grandfather spoke lovingly of Manley and that he appreciated Jamaica’s efforts for his release from prison.

In fact, after his dramatic release from prison, Nelson Mandela placed Jamaica at the top of his list of countries to visit, the young prince recalls.

He remembers the excitement the day his grandfather was freed and points out how dangerous it was for children.

“We would have been trampled,” he says. “The whole world was there, and we never believed we would see that in our lifetime. But we watched like the rest of the world from the television.”

Dlamini also remembers the impact that the absence of his grandfather had on the Mandela children.

“A father is supposed to be there. He provides emotional and financial support for his family and he is there to intervene in issues which are male issues,” he insists. “But while we were denied the presence of our grandfather, the nation too was denied the absence of a father figure. It was a really big loss, but it challenged my mother and grandmother to find ways of continuing the struggle.”

He says he benefited from the fact that he grew up in violence-free Swaziland. But although it was removed from the political situation in South Africa, the biggest challenge was that the Apartheid government was intent on finding and imprisoning all the families it believed were a threat to maintaining white rule.

“So the Mandelas, the Sisulus (family of Walter Sisulu) and the Tambos (family of Oliver Tambo) were all in danger,” he says.

Today, these families are no longer regarded as terrorists, but heroes.

Asked if there is a future for Winnie Mandela in South African politics, Dlamini quickly responds, “Oh, big mommy is not going anywhere. Alive or dead she remains in the hearts of South Africans and in the political process. And I also believe the same is true of Portia Simpson Miller, who has such a big heart.”

It is clear that the young prince was influenced by strong women. Therefore, it was not surprising to learn that he holds Simpson Miller in high esteem.

“My grandmother is admired for her strength, her big heart, and I believe we need so much more of that in the world. So you can imagine how excited I was, and certainly South Africa is that Portia Simpson Miller has emerged leader in a country traditionally male dominated,” he tells the Sunday Observer. “I never believed that in my lifetime I would see that, and I believe we need so much more people like her across the world, because we need a kinder, gentler world.”

The younger Mandela is no stranger to Jamaica and Jamaican affairs. This is his fourth visit to the island, but he has lived with a Jamaican family in Boston where he attended school. He says he is always in touch with Jamaican culture, from food to music to politics.

Other than Asafa Powell, the co-world record holder over 100 metres, and the sprint sensation Sherone Simpson, Dlamini says the biggest excitement among Jamaicans in the USA and the people in South Africa is the upcoming general elections.

“Everybody in South Africa wants to know when is elections in Jamaica,” he says. “It is on everybody’s lips, primarily because Jamaica and South Africa have always had a special relationship, and because a woman is in power in a small country with a tremendous reputation for excellence and scholarship on the international scene.

“I believe the most honourable Portia Simpson Miller has a great opportunity to lead this country and transform it in a way it has never been done before. Specifically with the feminine power, the role model she is and the example she is to women around the world,” he adds.

He made it clear that he was not speaking to local policy issues because he was not sufficiently informed.

However, he believes that Simpson Miller has the capacity to transform and inspire the country to great things.

He says he wants to make his own contribution to youth issues by keeping international focus on them. He is passionate, he says, about HIV/Aids, lack of access to health care, poverty and unemployment among youths.