Remembering Madiba. The legacy of Nelson Mandela

This week in 1994 - on May 9 - Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa. A look at his struggle and what he meant to his people. Let's hear it from South Africans in the UAE

On May 10, 1994, Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa, changing the history of his country - and the world - and officially ending decades of apartheid by becoming the first Black president of a multiracial democracy. By the time he took office, Mandela was already a household name, known and adored by millions around the world.
But his path to the presidency began much earlier, as a founding executive member of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League, while studying law at the University of the Witwatersrand. By 1948 - the year when the Afrikaner Nationalist party won a whites-only election and began implementing the policies of Apartheid - Mandela was ANCs Deputy president. Several years later, in February 1955, Mandela's frustration at the failure of political campaigning to prevent the removal of black residents from the Johannesburg suburb of Sophiatown convinced him that the ANC was left with little alternative than armed struggle.
"A freedom fighter learns the hard way that it is the oppressor who defines the nature of the struggle, and the oppressed is often left no recourse but to use methods that mirror those of the oppressor," he said of the shift in strategy. "At a certain point, one can only fight fire with fire."
Mandela's political goals were soon enshrined in a 'Freedom Charter' drawn up in June 1955. That prompted his arrest for high treason - alongside 155 others - on charges that the charter implied and encourage Communist revolution. Despite being found not guilty in 1961, Mandela went underground to organise the ANC, and soon earned a reputation as the "black Pimpernel". In 1961, he founded Umkhonto we Sizwe, or 'Spear of the Nation' - the armed wing of the ANC which hoped to bring the South African government to its knees through acts of sabotage. In August 1962 he was again arrested, and it was here that Mandela's struggle - and global fame - really began. Facing the death sentence or life imprisonment in an internationally publicised trial, Mandela gave his famous, "I am prepared to die" speech, which is regarded as one of the great speeches of the 20th century.
During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. 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 will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities," he said. "It is an ideal for which I hope for and see realised. But, my Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."
In spite of the prosecution's demand, Mandela was not sentenced to death, but instead spent the next 27 years in prison. Despite repeated trials and tribulations - such as mistreatment from his guards, hunger strikes, missing the funerals of his mother and eldest sons - he later jokingly referred to this time as a "long vacation". Speaking at his inauguration ceremony in Pretoria, Mandela spoke of the "human disaster" of apartheid and vowed to create a South Africa for all citizens, regardless of race.
"We saw our country tear itself apart in terrible conflict. the time for healing of wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come. The time to build is upon us," he said. "Never, never again will this beautiful land experience the oppression of one (race) by another." He also called on South Africans to forgive, using the Afrikaans term "wat is verby is verby," meaning 'what is past is past'. For many South Africans, Mandela's internationally televised 1990 release, and his ascension to the Presidency in 1994, were life changing events. "The entire country was excited.
It was a great time to be in South Africa. Even though it was so many years ago, I remember watching on TV when he was released, and watching when he became president," recalls South African UAE expat Kashif Jasoob. "You saw the unity among all different types of people, black, white, Asian, all happy and united. He also brought a lot of peace to the country itself. Before that, there was apartheid, and fights between different communities." "(During apartheid) people could only live in specific areas. There were suburbs that were black only, or for mixed race. If you were a different race you couldn't stay in the community," he added. "When he (Mandela) came to power, everything changed. You could eat at any place, stay at any hotel, or go to different schools." Looking back on Mandela's legacy, Jasoob noted that despite the corruption and other challenges that South Africa has experienced in the years since his presidency ended, "Mandela changed the country for the better."
"We'll always remember," he said.
- bernd@khaleejtimes.com
Bernd is a gizmo freak with a sweet tooth. He likes planes and shiny, blingy things