Reflecting on the Life of Nelson Mandela
It has been reported that Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, has died at the age of 95. Like most of us, I did not know him. But, like many of you, I know about him. I visited South Africa many times, toured Robben Island where he was imprisoned for 27 years and read his book, “A long Walk to Freedom.” No, he was not perfect but he was as good as a person can get! He was a role model for all of us in these turbulent times around the world. We all need to be more like him!
A prospective student from Iraq who attends the UWC school in Hong Kong reminded me: “Nelson Mandela was also honorary president of the UWC movement, and I believe that his life embodies much of what we strive for here at UWC, peace, idealism, and equality. He was tireless in his fight for freedom and equality for all South Africans.”
Nico Roberts, 2010 Westminster graduate and native South African, said, “Nelson Mandela was the foundation on which our democratic homeland was built. His courage and persistence to strive for freedom/equality for all South Africans, has not only set an example for us, but the entire world as to what a single individual can accomplish when they believe in something unconditionally. He has personally touched my life and his legacy now belongs to the ages. He will always be remembered as the father of South Africa.”
RIP. Closure on a great chapter! For me, I can say, I lived a better part of my life during the times of Mandela.
I find it a bit disappointing that all Mandela obituaries are written as if Mandela walked and did it all alone. My opinion is that bishop Desmond Tutu should at least always be mentioned as the great moderator. I doubt if Mandela, who originally came from a violent political background and surely was no, say, Martin Luther King at the outset but became moderated during his long term in prison, I doubt if Mandela and his African National Congress would ever have agreed to (and stood by) these truth and reconciliation commissions, had not a “man of God” been involved right from the start who was as popular as Mandela. Without denigrating Mandela and taking away from his credit, this picture as painted now in most obituaries tells -at most- half the story only.