One if the world greatest son went home yesterday. He was a remarkable man, with a great spirit. This man taught the world of how to change for the better and the power of forgiveness. It is easier to see how he changed South Africa, and forget how he did it. You have to look back in the early life of the man to see how much he himself had changed.
Nelson Mandela was once called a terrorist by Margaret Thatcher. The title he probably deserved depending on from what angle you are looking at. As it is so often one man terrorist is another man's hero. Madiba led an armed wing of ANC, and that's why Thatcher being who she was thought if him as a terrorist. But what a man had to do when he sees his people mowed down every day by the barrel of the gun? It was the armed struggle that got him life in prison.
Luckily for the Black South Africans, prison did not silence him. It has been said by various people who met him in prison of how much of a natural leader he was. He commanded respect even from the white prison guards. It was in prison that Mandela transformed himself. From the angry black man, to the courageous, patient, peaceful, and wise black leader. A man we now celebrate as the very best of human example.
For me personally, I will always remember standing on the side of the road for hours in Dar-es-salaam,Tanzania. Waiting patiently to catch a glimpse of him. There standing in the back of an open vehicle emerged two of the African best leaders side by side, mwl.Nyerere and Mandela. Waving at people. There were the two giants of African liberation struggles. This was the only time I saw Mandela in-person. I had met Nyerere quite a few times, and the two leaders were great friends.
What has stood out for me about Mandela was also the ability to say thanks without making too much noise about it. As a recognition of the country that sacrificed dearly for South Africa, the national anthem of SA changed and now it's similar to that of Tanzania. The relationship between TZ and SA changed from that of US and Russia during the cold war, to the best of friends. Today the two countries are not mingling in arguments about human rights but rather they share embassies in a lot of countries.
As the world take a step back and reflect on the life if this great human being. We all should take time to think, and ask ourselves, is there a Mandela in me?
