Can you say how 10 May is an 'autumn day' in South Africa?
10 May is an 'autumn day' in South Africa because Nelson Mandela explicitly describes the day of the inauguration as a "lovely autumn day" that dawned "bright and clear."
The pleasant autumn weather mirrored the historic significance of the day, which marked the installation of South Africa's first democratic, non-racial government. It was a day when the seat of white supremacy transformed into a site for a rainbow gathering of different nations, celebrating the end of the harsh system of racial domination and the dawn of political emancipation.
Explanation
The textbook context mentions that 10 May dawned 'bright and clear' and Mandela calls it a 'lovely autumn day.' While geographically May is an autumn month in the Southern Hemisphere, the provided text only states Mandela's direct description of the weather and the day's historic importance, linking the beautiful autumn weather to the glorious achievement of political emancipation and the end of apartheid.