THE pomp with which the world recently marked the 93rd birthday of the legendary freedom fighter, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is not unexpected. It is worth every bit of it, considering the foremost stately stature that he has come to represent. The pomp, and sometimes, reflective activities have become a tradition for observing the birthday of easily one of the world’s most revered leaders. Indeed, people the world over were asked to mark the day by giving 67 minutes of their time to community service, a symbolic re-enactment of the years Mandela spent in public service. Here in Nigeria, the South Africa High Commission made good the call by partnering with the Federal Capital Territory and Protea Hotel, Asokoro Abuja to carry some community service. At the Local Authority Primary School, Katampe Area District, Abuja, it de-wormed students and painted classrooms, presented gift of school sandals, footballs, writing balls and balloons to the school.
Similarly, tributes came from groups and leaders across the world. The United States President, Barrack Obama, hailed the world moral icon, “as beacon for the global community, and for all who work for democracy, justice and reconciliation.” Shadrack Gutto, Director of the Centre for African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa, said, “It is hard to sum up Mandela’s achievements and contribution to the country’s struggle for freedom.” To this great icon of our time, 12 million students across South Africa sang simultaneously ‘happy birthday’ for him.
To be sure, Mandela deserves all the praises. His life epitomises the struggle for freedom and justice all over the world. Wherever forces of reaction, oppression and injustices hold sway, his example remains a trailblazer for forces of freedom. Beyond this, it can be said that Mandela’s life is more of an omnibus of virtues of resistance, and political morality for so many reasons. He was magnanimous in his release from 27 years of incarceration. In fact, he worked for the reconciliation of South Africans in their ethnic diversity—blacks, whites, Indians and the coloured. Some other persons would instead stock the fire of animosity and vengeance. He spent a term in office and paved way to a younger generation of leadership in a continent where rulers vow that only God can remove them from power and therefore mutilate constitutions for either multiple or unlimited tenure in office. It is this point that Helen Zille of the South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance captured in her message, to the effect that the “most significant honour we can pay this great man on his birthday is to work towards his vision for all South Africans, to build on his dream, and to vigilantly and consistently protect the Constitution which he called ‘a sacred covenant''.
While out of office, Mandela became a moral voice for key social problems confronting the global community. He spoke up on the war in Iraq, campaign for the HIV/AIDS cause, the scourge of poverty and charities for children. Innovatively, he set up The Elders, a group of respected global leaders to provide wisdom and solutions to difficult global problems. He is virtually the greatest moral icon around. Today, the world with all its multiple problems needs a moral moderating voice. It is heart-warming that Africa gave that to the world community.
African leaders who think that the only way to be recognised is by the exertion of brute force over its citizens; crude expropriation of public resources, unbridled acquisition of material things and outright indulgence in hedonism should learn from the Mandela example. Let no one put forth the plausible argument that Mandela is what he is because he is a South African. He is a civilized man and we believe that a Mandela anywhere could have benefited any country, Nigeria inclusive. It is in recognition of this that the United Nations in 2009 declared July 18 of every year as Mandela International Day to be observed in his honour by the performance of community service.
While observing the first international day, the UN Secretary General said that Mandela’s achievement was as a result of great personal expense, and denial of every comfort of life in order to make his country and the world a better place. For us, here lies the Mandela challenge, especially for the new crop of South African leadership. While there are indications of creeping corruption in the country and racial intolerance, the leadership must take up the Mandela challenge of building a nation where all people can assert their humanity without racial, religious, sex and class bars. This is the greatest honor it can do to this ‘towering figure’ of our time. We join the rest of the world to congratulate our dear Madiba and wish him many happy returns.
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