The Example of Mandela
Amatoritsero Ede
“I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him…” So proceeds Mark Anthony’s famous funeral oration in honour of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar who has just succumbed to a bloody palace coup. The speech is also a backhanded slap at the guilty conspirators, Caius Cassius and the brutish Marcus Brutus – both “honourable men” who, despite being politically ambitious regicides in this matter, ironically justify their murderous act by accusing the deceased of diseased ambition.
Although, unlike the fictional Caesar, Nelson Mandela escaped the political assassin’s dagger at the end and peacefully faded away in his sleep, his demise also inspired valediction as well as veiled malediction when his immortality is set against the corpses of those living, mostly sit-tight, corrupt or inept African leaders like Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe or Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan, who have the vision of maggots. That Valedictory speech was given by a real life orator with skills equal to that of Mark Anthony – no less a skilled public speaker than American president Barack Obama. He gave, “measure for measure,” a high tension Shakespearian delivery with all the appropriate crowd-cues and all the necessary rhetorical flourishes compared to Anthony’s.
However a down-to-earth Mandela would, of course, eschew comparison to mighty Caesar. But it must be said that he always displayed a political wisdom and regal carriage traceable to the dignity of his ancient African royal line. His post-apartheid ‘inhuman’ embrace of otherwise sworn apartheid-loving political enemies is definitely godlike if not regal. Mandela’s inhumanity humanizes him to divine proportions. It is this supreme irony that is of interest here. How could a man named ‘trouble’ forgive his jailer, his tormentors, and centuries of apartheid brutality without bitterness? This, certainly, is not human.
I witnessed and still remember the convening of South Africa’s unique Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) with bemusement. This was, as the world knows, after Mandela’s release from twenty-seven years of political prison and, ascension to his country’s presidency. He had lost his prime behind bars, was estranged from family, did not see his children take their first tottering steps or lose their first set of teeth to the tooth fairy, nevertheless he came out into the staggering light of freedom to leave the darkness behind him forever. He called for a truce and set up the psychological safety valve that was the TRC. He did not shout, ‘give me my shorts, I want to riot!’
Without the TRC the trauma, injustice and hurt of the apartheid years would surely have burnt the new South Africa to the ground. While the transition to democracy has not been without some post-apartheid hiccups, the TRC installed restorative justice through confession, contrition and a reciprocal forgiveness, and mid-wifed democracy in South Africa. This was all possible due to the ancient African philosophy of Ubuntu embraced by Mandela as an African elder-leader of the community. The African spirit of community required reconciliation and understanding preceded by penitence as respectively tough and shaming as it was to demand the former of victims and the latter from perpetrators. Compromise, fellow feeling and reconciliation are germane to the age-old village-square domestic and communal conflict resolution style typical to the African continent before modernity.
Mandela’s life reenacts the example of a need for acknowledging our common humanity as preached by such other heroic figures before him like Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King and other kindred spirits. It is witness to his wisdom and thoughtfulness that a man whose public and private life was mostly troubled and whose middle name, Rolihlahla, literally means trouble should urge humanity to embrace peace by the example of his own selflessness, non-racial politics and material sacrifices.
“Without the TRC the trauma, injustice and hurt of the apartheid years would surely have burnt the new South Africa to the ground.”
You are right on the money here, dear editor. The TRC was a conduit of centuries of anger, and it channeled it to where it belongs. It might take us many more decades to realize the magnitude of moral capital that Mandela has bestowed on not only South Africa, but also the whole of Africa.
Lovely editorial, sir.
But why did you hurriedly name Goodluck Jonathan as a sittight president? This is a Nigerian thing, always stepping, matching, climbing and jumping on the name Nigeria to become prominent without considering what happens after. Too bad Nigerians killed Nigeria despite what Nigeria gave to them.
The hyper-nationalism you espouse does not work here. The Editor also mentioned the classic sit-tight president, Robert Mugabe, who is not Nigerian but Zimbabwean. Public figures are in the unenviable position of being under the klieg-lights and their actions are subject to scrutiny. A President who cannot solve a basic 20th century problem of uninterrupted electricity supply in the 21st century but turns himself into a sex police looking into private bedrooms in order to shift public attention from his failures and odious pilfering of the treasury just to perpetuate himself in power should get all the knocks he can take.
” How could a man named ‘trouble’ forgive his jailer, his tormentors, and centuries of apartheid brutality without bitterness? This, certainly, is not human.”
“The Stockholm Syndrome” comes to mind. Your jailer gives you some privileges and you warm towards him and even defend him. Meanwhile, some members of the Pan African Congress are still in jail.
But we will remember the great Mandela for his early years of defiance and courage and the bold challenge launched against the apartheid regime. He was prepared to die for this. Neither did the great man hold on to power at all cost – unlike numerous leaders of his era.
Nice piece, Mandela was a rare gem
If there ever is anything that has influenced the African continent more and has shown more example to the world, it is that act of forgiveness, established through the Truth and Reconciliation Committee. It was a form of hyssop meant to purge out the venom of hatred, bitterness and unforgiveness. It showed that the man Mandela could conquer himself and was more ready to lead the soul of his nation to conquer themselves. We can say Mandela had all the right to do just as Mugabe did, at least 27 years was worth it. But what of that seed of discord that would have been sown had such a committee not been established? Probably, just probably, we might have had another DR Congo. Most importantly, it was a purging out of the venom of revenge and bitterness.
Great write up- very insightful and edged with truth. I really admired the late Mandela and I think that a great part of who he was was influenced by his Christian faith (which, unlike our leaders) he rarely made public noise about but lived out in great example.
We were indeed fortunate to have been in the generation to witness this great man and God showed us what we are capable of if we could just get it together.
Sigh…it is unfortunate that our leaders do not seem to care to emulate Mandela at all.
Very thought-provoking. Mandela certainly was, as you point out, a figure great enough to be worthy of Shakespearian drama and a man of godly stature. Yet you don’t let the epic scope of his character distract us from the fact that he was only human — as we are. Thanks for reminding us that he’s not just someone to emulate but an EXAMPLE to follow.
Great editorial Ama. He sure was human, to a divine level. A level many of us should strive for and will for.
Well written and so insightful. Thanks. Mandela had great dignity and I admired him for his insights into the human nature, besides being a great strategic mind: he got it right, most of the time. Interesting to see how he dealt with his private affairs, of what we saw of it.
Africa can be proud to have had him. I hope more take up his example.