Bobby on the Beat: Can Madiba finally rest in peace?
It’s been eleven years since Nelson Mandela left us.
This Thursday, he would have been 106 years old. I would have been curious to know how he feels about our politics having come full circle.
He was, after all, our first leader of a Government of National Unity (GNU), at a time when the ANC was wildly popular and could easily have ruled on its own.
Such was the man’s charismatic diplomacy, that he convinced opposing ideologies to work together, albeit for a short period of time.
And very unlike to what happened this year, when that party was forced by circumstance to give the GNU experiment another try. And for his sake, I hope it works, because he left a massive legacy that is still celebrated by the world to this day.
This week, we remember the Madiba Jive, the infectious smile that lit up his whole face, the sincere humility, how easily he could be distracted by the presence of a child and his genuine love for this country.
Some argue that there was nothing magical about Madiba – that he was actually a sell-out for the compromises he made when brokering our transition to democracy, leaving economic power in the hands of the minority.
And that he was merely a ceremonial head of state, who was more interested in glory for the ANC and his own global image.
But that is a very narrow argument that overlooks the bigger picture of what he and his actions symbolised.
There are numerous ways in which CODESA could’ve ended and almost all the other outcomes would’ve led to civil unrest.
Whether you agree with it or not, Mandela’s chief objective was peace; to avoid further bloodshed that would take South Africa down the same path as some other African countries after they gained their independence.
I think he firmly believed that the ANC would be our salvation and that every single party leader would strictly follow the principles of the Freedom Charter to create a harmonious and prosperous future for all.
He was clearly an overly optimistic and principled man, which in hindsight, was also his biggest flaw.
He made assumptions about his fellow ANC cadres that turned out to be disastrous for both the party and the country.
It’s not to say that if Mandela was still alive today, we would not be experiencing grand-scale corruption, public looting, unaffordable cost-of-living, catastrophic youth unemployment and a host of other issues.
But despite his faults, he possessed a moral compass that no other single political leader in power today has, and that most South Africans felt compelled to be guided by; and that the world is still inspired by.
Very few of global leader are genuinely working on a dream even remotely resembling Mandela’s.
While he may not have had the executive and academic chops of say, Thabo Mbeki, he had an irresistible and authentic ethical light that shone bright and that made the rest of us want to act in a way that wouldn’t disappoint him.
Sadly, that is exactly what many have done, while still having the audacity to “use his name in vain”.But Mandela was also a realist. Which is why he said: “If the ANC does to you what the apartheid government did to you, then you must do to the ANC what you did to the apartheid government.”
It turns out his words may have been close to a prophecy, if our recent election is anything to go by.
While not voted out of power completely, the results were certainly warning shots. Perhaps the electorate was being guided by Madiba’s spirit.
So this week we are again encouraged to spend our 67 minutes of Thursday doing something generous and selfless for someone less fortunate than ourselves; to do what he did for 67 years of his life.
But the truth is, many of us will do it for recognition from society and likes on our social media.
Our politicians will make speeches in which they will invoke the spirit of Madiba and the lessons he left us, forgetting about the sacrifices, the actions and the difficult decisions he made with one goal in mind – a society that is at peace with itself.
Everything he did in his life was not only for our freedom, but for what would come after that freedom was achieved – a better life for all.If our GNU leadership spent just 67 minutes of every day doing something that brings us closer to that goal, then they would be honouring Madiba in the way that best reflects his own values.
Because compared to Mandela’s dream, all South Africans have become the less fortunate; the ones in need of selfless acts.
Making this GNU work would be the perfect birthday present for Madiba.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za