Nelson Mandela.
Madiba. Father of South
Africa. Peacemaker. Visionary. Leader. Husband. Father. Grandfather. Humanitarian. Activist. Politician. Prisoner.
I am relieved that Nelson Mandela’s life has finally come to
an end. I feel sure that the last months
could not have been easy. Although most
of us die in hospital, most of us aspire to finish our days in our own homes,
with those we love. Madiba achieved that,
which is fitting for a man who achieved so much.
It was during the 80s that the situation in South Africa
started to seep into my consciousness. I
was aware of the furore caused rugby teams from these islands who continued to
play in South Africa when many sporting teams were boycotting the country in
protest against apartheid. I was aware of the young girls of my own age
who had lost their jobs in Dunne’s Stores for refusing to handle South African
fruit.
But it was the late 80s before I became aware of this man, this
Nelson Mandela. This was due mainly to
the song ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ and the 70th Birthday Concert which
was organised in London, featuring some of music’s very best acts including Dire
Straits and The Eurythmics. It was a
kind of political Live Aid. So I thought
this Nelson Mandela must be a pretty cool guy.
A few years later, in February 1990 I was glued to my TV as
this ‘cool guy’, Mandela, who up until that point was just a silent, invisible
figurehead, walked out of prison, hand in hand with his wife Winnie. He was an old man, albeit an elegant one who
walked very erect and slowly presumably savouring sweet freedom. I, along with everyone else got my first real
look at this man we knew but didn’t know at all.
Since then we have all watched this elderly man as he led
South Africa into a new dawn of peace.
His presence was welcomed all over the world as he shared his wisdom and
his crusade for peace and freedom. And
that make us so very lucky.
Our children and our children’s children and their children
will learn about Nelson Mandela. They
will watch videos of him and they will read his speeches. We however, have been given the privilege of
watching Mandela’s journey and that of South Africa in real time. And for that I am so grateful.
Mandela was a visionary leader. He was a gifted orator. But he also had wisdom borne from a deep self
knowledge, which I assume came from the long years he spent incarcerated. He was the physical embodiment of that famous
Gandhi quote - “Be The Change You Want To See In The World.” Mandela walked his talk and did so with
grace.
Along with his wisdom was the inner peace of a man at ease
with himself and his shortcomings. “Don’t
make me a saint”, he said, “I am no saint”.
But more than this, what made Mandela outstanding as a statesman was his
humour. He was quick to laugh and he
poked fun at himself regularly. He wore
his greatness lightly. And only the true
greats of politics have conquered their ego sufficiently to not take themselves
too seriously.
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