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BORN
“Troublemaker”
By Andrew Williams
Nelson Mandela
BOSS MAGAZINE LIFESTYLE
“In my country,
we go to prison
first then become
As a black male, I don’t need to say how
there aren’t many black role models
for us to look up to. Nelson Mandela
belonged to that elite and near impossible
few who came from nothing
but managed to stand up against the
machine. Known to his compatriots as
Madiba, he was born Rolihlahla Mandela
on July 18th, 1918 in Mvezo, a small
village located in the south eastern
edge of South Africa. As if destined to
spark change, Mandela’s given name
roughly translates into “troublemaker.”
To get a better understanding of this
man how he blazed a trail, we must first
examine the environment that shaped
him. Although systemic racism was
alive and well throughout the world, it
thoroughly rooted itself in the Dutch
colony of South Africa, gorging on ignorance
and xenophobia for decades
until it grew into the tumor we know as
Apartheid. Under this rule, which literally
means “apartness,” human beings
were placed into four arbitrary groups:
black, white, coloured, and Indian. In
1948, the segregation of blacks was
made official legislation, their limited
rights and freedoms obliterated, while
the elevated status of the white Afrikaans
minority was solidified.
A lawyer by trade and part-time boxer,
Mandela became involved with other
like-minded individuals who were determined
to tear down the oppression
of Apartheid. Joining the African National
Congress (ANC), he ascended
the ranks and bolstered the party with
more Pan-African ideals, believing that
black self-sufficiency was the true path
to freedom. It was during this time that
Mandela and the ANC became increasingly
more militant and nationalistic.
Although he couldn’t be linked into any
particular acts of terrorism, he was ultimately
labeled a radical, leading the
ANC in a rebellious campaign to take
back South Africa from white tyranny.
The ANC began resorting to acts of
sabotage and violence, even towards
civilians. In 1962, Mandela was apprehended
then imprisoned for treason, a
crime that carried a life sentence.
Despite its drudgery and adversity,
prison is what triggered his metamorphosis
into the man the world would
eventually recognize. The hard labour
of Robben Island prison coupled with
the intellectual debates between inmates
taught Mandela how to be a
better leader, and his previous hostilities
were chipped away. The hardened
revolutionary was transformed into a
compassionate advocate for human
rights who was able to elicit empathy
from even the white prison guards.
On February 11th, 1990, after 27 years
of imprisonment, Mandela was finally
released after much negations and
waves of international support. With
the help of then president F.W. de Klerk,
Mandela was elected into office and
spearheaded the end to Apartheid. He
ushered in a new era of racial equality.
He was staunchly against seeking reprisal
from his former oppressors and
instead believed in fostering a brotherhood
between white and black. Mandela
detested racism, seeing it as a
barbaric thing no matter which race it
came from. “If you want to make peace
with your enemy, you have to work
with your enemy,” he once said. “Then
he becomes your partner.” Nevertheless,
such a transition could not happen
overnight as racial tensions still exist in
South Africa to this day.
Throughout his incarceration, his second
wife Winnie Madikzela was a fiery
supporter of his and as much a warrior
against Apartheid as he was. Despite
her contributions to the cause, her
reputation was tarnished after she
was implicated in extreme acts such
as kidnapping and even murder, and
not to mention various political scandals.
Their 38 year marriage ended in
divorce in 1996, but the two remained
on good terms.
Like all politicians, Mandela had his critics
and detractors. Some have argued
he didn’t do enough to tackle the crime
that was festering throughout the nation,
or tidy up the government from
political corruption. His personal life
was also mired with family problems
and was itself a stir of controversy.
However, he did not shy away from
this. When his son Makgato Mandela
died in 2005, he openly disclosed the
cause was HIV in an effort to bring the
issue of AIDS to the forefront.
Married three times, Mandela is survived
by his wife Graça Machel. In all he
had six children and is survived by Zenani
Mandela-Dlamin, Makaziwe Mandela,
and Zindziswa Mandela.
Mandela was behind bars from the age
of 44 to 71, longer than I’ve been alive,
and walked away without animosity.
Known for keeping his emotions
reserved, whatever grain of resentment
or bitterness remained in him
was buried deep in the past so that he
could push forward into the future. He
knew that holding onto hate and past
wrongs was in itself a prison, and this
is what he wanted everyone to be conscious
of.
“For to be free is not merely to cast off
one’s chains, but to live in a way that
respects and enhances the freedom of
others.”
Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/06/world/
africa/nelson-mandela_obit.html?_r=0
WINTER 2013
BOSS MAGAZINE
President.” – Nelson Mandela
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