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REMEMBERING NELSON MANDELA
On July 18, 2018, several countries around the world, including the United States, Canada and Britain, marked the 100th birthday of Nelson Mandela. It was an occasion to reflect on Nelson Mandela’s life, honour his legacy and his leadership and devotion to fight poverty, promote social justice for all and to follow his call to make the world a better place.
While it was most appropriate for these countries to observe the birthday of this world icon, only few in Guyana revered the Nobel Laureate whose resolve to stand up against apartheid, injustice and racial prejudice in South Africa continues to inspire people across the world.
In November 2009, the United Nations declared the Nelson Mandela International Day in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to global peace and freedom.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in the tiny village of Mvezo, British South Africa on July 18, 1918. He was born in a country where a network of laws were codified to implement racial segregation and subjugation of blacks known as apartheid.
At the time, most of Africa was under colonial rule. The dominant European powers viewed the continent and its people primarily as spoils in a contest for territory, natural resources, cheap labour and inferiority of the black race. This view of the world saw white Europeans and predominantly white countries as inherently superior. Violence and coercion were the primary basis for governance; the strong exploited the weak, and wealth was determined primarily by conquest.
In such a white dominated world, there was no reason to believe that a young black boy from South Africa could in any way, alter history. After all, South Africa was then less than a decade removed from full British control. Mandela fought against a government established apartheid and racial segregation and served 27 years in prison from 1964 until his release in 1990 by President de Klerk amid growing domestic and international pressure and with fears of a racial civil war in South Africa.
In 1994, Mandela was elected South Africa’s first black President under a broad Coalition Government in a fully representative democratic election. While in office, he could have exacted vengeance on white South Africans for the decades of wrong that they committed against the majority black population.
But he turned firmly against it, and instead, tackled institutionalized racism, dismantled apartheid and created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuse.
Many recall with great pain his, passing at the age of 95 on December 5, 2013, but through his exemplary contribution to the development of his beloved country, and indeed the world, Nelson Mandela repeatedly gave us reason to reflect on our purpose of life on earth.
At his trial and conviction of unjustified charges of treason in April 1964, when the abominable South African apartheid regime of Peter Botha sought to put him to death, the South African anti-apartheid revolutionary leader said, “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal, which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
As we honour the memory of this great man on his 100th birthday, it is incumbent on us to examine our actions towards our fellow human beings and how we can contribute to making the world a better place, not only for us but also for future generations.
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