A Hero, mentor, leader, but above all a good man
“When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace,” said Nelson Mandela, the man whose life people around the world are celebrating. I believe we can safely say that if what qualifies a man to achieve peaceful rest is to have done his duty to his people, his country, his continent, his race and indeed humankind, then Madiba has more than earned it.
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Sunday, December 15, 2013, in the picturesque hills of his beloved Qunu in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, President Mandela was finally laid to rest. As he stated himself, ‘he can now rest’ and at the ripe age of 95, he deserves to do so.
Since Thursday, December 5, when he breathed his last, many tributes have been paid to this “giant of history”, to borrow President Barrack Obama’s very appropriate phrase, “My little tribute is personal and it is from my heart”.
Nelson Mandela was my boss, my father and my hero. His image has stared at me from the wall of my office since I started my company in 1998; for I draw a lot of inspiration from him. When I was a student in the United States, I had photos of two men on my desk, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. Those two men epitomised my struggles then.
My life-changing opportunity came when I volunteered to go and work on the elections in South Africa and I was able to work closely with and for Nelson Mandela from 1993 to 1994. I later worked with his spokesperson, Parks Mankahlana (now of blessed memory) on various projects from 1995 to 1998 and came into contact with him on several occasions. It was an exciting and deeply satisfying experience.
As a member of the CNN media strategic team that worked on the transition of SABC from a white-dominated organisation to a public broadcaster to serve the interests of all South Africans, I had the rare privilege to dine with him and Walter Sisulu and his son Zwelakhe Sissulu, who was then being groomed to become the CEO of the new SABC. SABC played a key part in the reconstruction process.
Those days, Mr Mandela was known to be at high risk of being assassinated by extremist right wing elements. I asked him if he could tell how he had escaped being killed by the “Boers.” He wrapped his hand around me, reprimanded Zwelakhe sternly for having taught me the use of the word “Boer” as a derogatory term, and then he said: “Boateng, it was not meant to be…” Walter Sisulu chipped in and said, "Nelson was always bound for greatness and that his charm and presence saved them all. That is how we survived; he laughed."
Through Zwelakhe, I got to know his father Walter Sisulu well and indeed, he became Uncle Walter to me. He was President Mandela’s spiritual godfather and to say I enjoyed knowing the two old men would be an understatement. Their conversations were witty and humorous.
My time in South Africa was even made merrier when the Dr Nathatho Motlanta (now of blessed memory) became my mentor. He was the Mandela family doctor and I often asked him how he managed to keep Mandela alive and he always replied that Nelson kept himself alive. The self-discipline that he imposed on himself was good for his health and kept him alive in more ways than one.
I watched him from afar and from close proximity as well. He was good at what he did. Madiba was a master politician and it was a joy to watch him influence people and get what he wanted out of the most difficult and awkward situations. He understood power, and the use of power and the media to get results that had an impact on society.
I saw him steer and manage South Africa during a very turbulent period. A period when most people, especially whites, lived in fear and thought South Africa was headed towards a bloodbath. It is thanks to him that South Africa emerged into the vibrant democracy it is today with space for all races and nations.
He was ready to embrace his enemies even if that meant offending his constituents. He never lost sight of his ultimate goal and strived tirelessly to achieve it. That is how he was able to bring South Africans together and today he is being mourned by people who once wanted to kill him.
But it was Mandela as a human being - not a President or world leader - that had the greatest impact on me. When you are near him, Madiba managed to make everybody feel at ease.
He was comfortable among young people and he had an excellent memory for names and tried to make everybody around him feel at ease. He had his way of making you feel special by wrapping his arms around you. His humility was touching and he never hesitated to call on the expertise of others and was always anxious to learn from others that he had no knowledge of.
He always talked about forgiveness and not holding on to the past. He preached tolerance and emphasised the importance of learning from our and others’ mistakes and experiences. His vision went way beyond the boundaries of South Africa and he saw the progress of the entire continent of Africa as an important goal of his life. He said to me once: “I saw the Africa we dreamt of go past my eyes when I was in jail and told myself that South Africa would not go in that direction. We would set a better example if we were given the opportunity."
Nelson Mandela is gone now and we do not mourn but rather celebrate a life well lived. His legacy should not end. It should be reflected in the things that we do. The world, Africa and most especially the youth should learn from his determination, which he summed up in the words, "Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again."
We would do honour to his memory and make his legacy a living flame when we do not get comfortable with the levels we may have attained as individuals or as nations. His many sacrifices would be worthwhile if we do not give up easily in the face of challenges. We should learn to rise when we fall.
We should learn to stand strong. We should not accept the status quo and make sure that every African child has enough to eat and also has access to education. This is part of Madiba's wish.
Fare well, Tata. You have done your duty.