THE tributes are endless. They all agree
that a great man has gone at 95.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was
extraordinary in his selflessness,
generosity of spirit. The perspective,
perception, and perspicacity he brought to all issues marked him out –
they account for the endless
panegyrics that have attended his
transition. Here was a man who committed his life
to the struggle from youth, spent 27
years in prison, since he was unwilling
to compromise his stand that all
human beings are equal and that
black South Africans should not be prevented from aspiring to their
potentials because they were black.
Madiba was the star in the cast that
understood human rights, fought for
them, when a moralistic world ran on
the superiority of the white race. It
was a paradox that world leaders,
whose claim to their places on the global podium was defence of human
rights, boisterously excluded South
Africa. The hypocrisy has not ceased. They
are not apologising for the
mistreatment of South Africans during
apartheid. They have no appreciation
for the tenacity of African countries
that sustained the struggle. Apartheid protagonists and their
ardent supporters, who put Madiba
away for 27 years, had no idea how
their staid stand was engraving the
man’s greatness on the conscience of
the world. If they knew, they would possibly have applied other
approaches. How would apartheid have run
without Madiba? Who would have had
the forgiving spirit of Madiba? If not
Madiba, which South African would
have given up power after a struggle
that should entitle him to whatever he wanted in South Africa? Madiba’s was a life of sacrifice. He
sealed his desires within the context
of the common good of South
Africans, whether black, white or
coloured. He was Spartan. He
exemplified the practical side of living simply so that others may simply live. With his transition, the Madiba
challenge to leaders round the world
has increased. Would they take up the
task of improving the world, to match
the tributes they keenly paid Madiba
or would their enthusiastic applause of his greatness end with graveside
orations? Preaching would not solve the
challenges the world faces. The annual
congregation of world leaders, in New
York, at the United Nations, has failed
to make a better world because their
selfishness is evident in their postulations. Madiba stood against racism. He
enlisted in the struggle to end it,
succeeding against overwhelming
odds, and haughty western views that
rated his efforts futile, stating that
apartheid was ordained. His life spoke volumes about the triumph of good
over evil and the shamelessness of
perpetrators of evil. Adieu Madiba, you left the world better
than you met it.