The media has been exploding. Normally, that would irk me. However, I feel that Nelson Mandela’s death is such a colossal event that it deserves all the coverage it is getting. He was the father of the nation we know today. So, I’m going to add my voice to the many others, as a young South African.
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela
Humans tend to believe that it takes more than one person to change the world; that just one person can’t make a difference. However, I argue that our Nelson Mandela defied such a rule. He was one man. He created great change. He was a beacon of hope for South Africans who had become acclimatised to oppression under Apartheid. Without his gentleness, our nation would never have transitioned to democracy so smoothly. Some feared civil war, yet peace was found. I may not have been alive to see this at play, yet STILL in South Africa – I can see the impact that this one man had on lives of ordinary people. He shaped the country I live in today.
It is a tragedy that our Tata is no longer with us – a hero has fallen. Yet, I think that with being melancholy, we need to celebrate the life that Madiba had, and that was quite a life indeed. In his 95 years, he experienced oppression from the hateful National Party, became the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, he persevered through 27 years in prison and then went on to become the first black president of South Africa. What still flabbergasts me is that through all of this, he had unwavering humility and courage.
If you look at politics, it is very seldom that a leader comes about who is truly great enough to see the potential of a nation, beyond selfish intent and current hindrances. The leaders of South Africa today seem to have lost this humility. Extreme views claim that now our country is going to deteriorate without our father Madiba watching over us. I, however, challenge that. I believe that we can still follow the beacon of light which Mandela illuminated – it is up to us, seemingly ordinary citizens, to realise the power we hold in our country. If we do this, we can continue to create ripples of change.
So, here’s to the life of a man whose soul shall always be superior. May our Madiba rest in peace, as his life created peace for so many others. I hope that among all of the upset, this momentous occasion can be a reminder of the greatness of a man who was the key to the democratic South Africa in which I now reside – a man whose selflessness and optimism touched the lives of millions.
We love you, Tata.
The Politics of Thought, South Africa 