Dear Editor,
“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.”- Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela is a global icon. Although many of us have never met this man it feels as if we have known him all our lives. Mandela was not haughty nor was he caught up with power. He could have easily held on to power once he became president of South Africa. But, he did not, he walked away. Mandela lived his life in the public’s view. Whether it was his unjust imprisonment, or his family life he was always in the public’s domain for all to see. Mandela was a statesman with a strong spirit of forgiveness.
His eloquence and decorum placed him in a category above all others. His voice was not course, but his presence was monumental. He was respected not only in South Africa but globally. As a result even in death we still remember this giant of a man. International Nelson Mandela Day is an annual global celebration that takes place on 18 July to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. This day is a call to action for individuals, communities, and organizations to take time to reflect on Mandela’s values and principles and to make a positive impact in their own communities. This year’s theme is “It’s Still in Our Hands to Combat Poverty and Inequity”. This theme directs global attention toward eradicating systemic poverty and addressing the widening gap between the rich and poor.
Early Life
Rolihlahla Mandela was born into the Madiba clan in the village of Mvezo, in the Eastern Cape, on 18 July 1918. His mother was Nonqaphi Nosekeni and his father was Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela, principal counsellor to the Acting King of the Thembu people, Jongintaba Dalindyebo. In 1930, when he was 12 years old, his father died. Mandela began his studies for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University College of Fort Hare but did not complete the degree there as he was expelled for joining in a student protest. He completed his BA through the University of South Africa and went back to Fort Hare for his graduation in 1943. He began studying for an LLB at the University of the Witwatersrand. In 1989, while in the last months of his imprisonment, he obtained an LLB through the University of South Africa. He graduated in absentia at a ceremony in Cape Town.
Politics
Mandela, while increasingly politically involved from 1942, only joined the African National Congress in 1944 when he helped to form the ANC Youth League (ANCYL). In 1944 he married Walter Sisulu’s cousin, Evelyn Mase, a nurse. They had two sons, Madiba Thembekile “Thembi” and Makgatho, and two daughters both called Makaziwe, the first of whom died in infancy. He and his wife divorced in 1958. Mandela rose through the ranks of the ANCYL and through its efforts; the ANC adopted a more radical mass-based policy, the Programme of Action, in 1949. In 1952 he was chosen as the National Volunteer-in-Chief of the Defiance Campaign with Maulvi Cachalia as his deputy. This campaign of civil disobedience against six unjust laws was a joint programme between the ANC and the South African Indian Congress. He and 19 others were charged under the Suppression of Communism Act for their part in the campaign and sentenced to nine months of hard labour, suspended for two years.
In August 1952 he and Oliver Tambo established South Africa’s first black-owned law firm in the 1950s, Mandela & Tambo. Mandela was arrested in a countrywide police swoop on 5 December 1956, which led to the 1956 Treason Trial. Men and women of all races found themselves in the dock in the marathon trial that only ended when the last 28 accused, including Mandela, were acquitted on 29 March 1961. On 21 March 1960 police killed 69 unarmed people in a protest in Sharpeville against the pass laws. This led to the country’s first state of emergency and the banning of the ANC and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) on 8 April. Mandela and his colleagues in the Treason Trial were among thousands detained during the state of emergency.
During the trial Mandela married a social worker, Winnie Madikizela, on 14 June 1958. They had two daughters, Zenani and Zindziswa. The couple divorced in 1996. On 11 January 1962, using the adopted name David Motsamayi, Mandela secretly left South Africa. He travelled around Africa and visited England to gain support for the armed struggle. He received military training in Morocco and Ethiopia and returned to South Africa in July 1962. He was arrested in a police roadblock outside Howick on 5 August while returning from KwaZulu-Natal, where he had briefed ANC President Chief Albert Luthuli about his trip. He was charged with leaving the country without a permit and inciting workers to strike. He was convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, which he began serving at the Pretoria Local Prison.
On 27 May 1963 he was transferred to Robben Island and returned to Pretoria on 12 June. Within a month police raided Liliesleaf, a secret hideout in Rivonia, Johannesburg, used by ANC and Communist Party activists, and several of his comrades were arrested. On 9 October 1963 Mandela joined 10 others on trial for sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial. While facing the death penalty his words to the court at the end of his famous “Speech from the Dock” on 20 April 1964 became immortalized.
On 11 June 1964 Mandela and seven other accused, Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Denis Goldberg, Elias Motsoaledi and Andrew Mlangeni, were convicted and the next day were sentenced to life imprisonment. Goldberg was sent to Pretoria Prison because he was white, while the others went to Robben Island. Mandela’s mother died in 1968 and his eldest son, Thembi, in 1969. He was not allowed to attend their funerals. On 12 August 1988 he was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
After more than three months in two hospitals he was transferred on 7 December 1988 to a house at Victor Verster Prison near Paarl where he spent his last 14 months of imprisonment. He was released from its gates on Sunday 11 February 1990. On 10 May 1994 he was inaugurated as South Africa’s first democratically elected President. On his 80th birthday in 1998 he married Graça Machel, his third wife. Mandela stepped down in 1999 after one term as President. He continued to work with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund he set up in 1995.
67 Minutes of Service
Nelson Mandela Day is perhaps best known for its slogan, “67 Minutes of Service. In 2009, it was calculated that Nelson Mandela spent 67 years of his life in service of social justice – in his years of activism and mobilization, his years in prison, as well as his years as president of the Republic of South Africa. However, it seems that something went wrong with the calculation because, in 2009, Madiba had spent 65 years fighting for social justice since he joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944. Even with this error, the 67 Minutes campaign went global and became the rallying call for Nelson Mandela International Day. On this Nelson Mandela International Day we all have the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better! Let us follow in the footsteps of this global statesman.
Ways to Honour Mandela’s Legacy
There are numerous ways we can honour Mandela’ legacy. Spend 67 minutes of your day volunteering to support local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)’s, shelters or youth programmes in recognition of Mandela’s 67 years of public service. Additionally, you can support vulnerable groups by contributing resources, time, or skills to assist those most in need in your local community. Perhaps, you can be an advocate for human rights, equality and dignity. Speak out against injustice. Nelson Mandela was always involved whether at the global level or the national level. Get involved.
Nelson Mandela never wavered in his devotion to democracy, equality and learning. His life is an inspiration to all who are oppressed and deprived. Mandela was the quintessential Pan Africanist. He died at his home in Johannesburg on 5 December 2013.
In the words of Nelson Mandela, there can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to helping others without expecting anything in return.
Yours truly,
Wayne Campbell
