The death of Nelson Mandela, an icon of freedom, on December 5, 2013, left a gaping hole in the heart of Africa, writes Senior Correspondent, ISHAYA IBRAHIM.
Ironically, icon of freedom and justice, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, emerged from the continent of Africa as did dictators who literally threw freedom and justice overboard. Compare him with Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe; Yaya Jameh of Gambia; Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan; Paul Biya of Cameroon and many others, and you understand what made Mandela tick.
This icon was born on July 18, 1918, at Mvezo, South Africa and why Africa will for ever miss him.
Africa, home of tyrants
Africa has a knack for producing tyrants, leaders who would rather not leave office voluntarily, like General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled Togo until his death, and Colonel Muammar Ghadaffi of Libya who considered himself the same as the state, until a band of rebels killed him. Others are Kamuzu Banda of Malawi, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, Omar Bongo of Gabon, Hissene Habre of Chad and our own General Sani Abacha. The list is endless.
The leader of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore, had to be pushed out of office on October 28, 2014, ending his 27 years reign. The protests were sparked by Compaore’s attempts to corner the parliament into lifting a two-term limit on his time in office. Thousands of protesters thronged the streets of Ouagadougou, the country’s capital, and burned down buildings, including that of the parliament. Even the state of emergency he declared failed to save his job. He fled to Cote d’Ivoire in a heavily-armed convoy.
Even the revered Olusegun Obasanjo, an international figure and Indira Gandhi Prize winner, seems to have the blood of sit-tight leaders running in his veins. After ruling Nigeria as Military Head of State from February 13, 1976 to September 30, 1979, Obasanjo came back as civilian president on May 29, 1999. He was to serve a maximum of eight years (two terms), according to the constitution. But as his tenure was about to end, he allegedly masterminded a plot that could afford him another tenure, in the inglorious Third Term imbroglio. It took the Senate led by Ken Nnamani to shoot down the plot.
But unlike these dictators, Mandela only served a term, even against the torrent of public opinion to stay on and help build a stable system before bowing out – the perfect argument of most dictators. My people are asking me to stay on, so I feel humble to accept the offer, the typical African politician or ruler would say.
A different specie
But not Mandela, who stayed only a term of five years, during which he made the country the most serious and economically successful, accounting for 40 per cent of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the continent, whereas Nigeria, three times more populous at the time, lurched along in second place with around 14 per cent.
The fact is, these sit-tight-dictators not only bastardised the continent’s weak institutions, but they succeeded in pauperising its people.
According to several reports by the United Nations (UN) and the Africa Union (AU), around $148 billion is stolen from the continent annually by political leaders, multinational corporations, the business elite and civil servants.
General Abacha, within five years of his rule (1993-1998), was alleged to have stolen close to $4 billion, which he stashed in several accounts in banks across the world.
Many others owned staggering properties in Europe and America. A French television, France24, reported that Omar Bongo and his family alone owned at least 33 luxury properties in France, one of which was worth 18.8 million euros.
South Africa no longer the same
Even Mandela’s South Africa is no longer the same. Since he retired in 1999, the country has been woefully led. The Economist observed: “For nine years, it (South Africa) endured Thabo Mbeki’s race-tinted prickliness, so different from Mandela’s big-hearted inclusiveness.
“Mbeki’s denial of the link between HIV (Human Immune Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) cost millions of lives. After he was deposed by his party in 2008, there was a brief stand-in, Kgalema Motlanthe, before Jacob Zuma took over the presidency in 2009.”
It said when Zuma arrived the political scene, he offered little or no vision for the country, apart from his charm and canny ability to mediate between people and the many factions that make up the Africa National Congress (ANC).
“Worse, Zuma has failed to tackle the scourge of corruption. The ANC under his aegis has sought to undermine the independence of the courts, the police, the prosecuting authorities and the press. It has conflated the interests of party and state, dishing out contracts for public works as rewards for loyalty – hence the bitter jest that the government is in hock to ‘tenderpreneurs’. This has reduced economic competitiveness and bolstered fabulously rich black elite. As a result, too little wealth trickles down,” it added.
Too little trickling down has left the vast majority of the continent’s people living in abject poverty. Africa, The Economist added, is an unlucky continent. “Of wealth, there was no shortage. In 1324, when King Mansa Musa of Mali stopped in Cairo while making the pilgrimage to Mecca, he distributed so much gold that he destroyed the value of money for at least a decade.”
But despite the abundance of natural resources, the continent’s people live in abject poverty.
Missing Mandela’s sermon of love
Africa is home to ethnic and religious strife, some of which are fuelled by leaders bent on destroying oppositions, like the situations in Central Africa Republic (CAR), South Sudan, Congo, Eritrea, the list is endless. And more dangerously, the Islamic insurgency in Nigeria, Mali, Somalia, Kenya, all threatening the existence of the continent.
But like Mandela noted: “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Africa lacks leaders in the mould of Mandela to unify its people.
The leader is born
A Xhosa born to the Thembu royal family, the young Nelson attended the Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand, where he studied law. Living in Johannesburg, he became involved in anti-colonial politics, joining the ANC and becoming a founding member of its Youth League. After the South African National Party came to power in 1948, he rose to prominence in the ANC’s 1952 Defiance Campaign, was appointed superintendent of the organisation’s Transvaal chapter and presided over the 1955 Congress of the People.
Working as a lawyer, he was repeatedly arrested for seditious activities and, with the ANC leadership, was unsuccessfully prosecuted in the Treason Trial from 1956 to 1961. Although initially committed to non-violent protest, he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in 1961 in association with the South African Communist Party, leading sabotage campaign against the apartheid government. In 1962, he was arrested, convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the state, and sentenced to life in the Rivonia Trial.
Emergence as president
Mandela was President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the first black South African to hold the office, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation. He served as President of ANC from 1991 to 1997. Internationally, Mandela was secretary-general of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999.
He served over 27 years in prison, initially on Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. An international campaign lobbied for his release. He was released in 1990, during a time of escalating civil strife. Mandela joined negotiations with President F.W. de Klerk to abolish apartheid and establish multi-racial elections in 1994, in which he led the ANC to victory and became South Africa’s first black president.
He published his autobiography in 1995. During his tenure in the Government of National Unity (GNU), he invited several other political parties to join the cabinet. As agreed to during the negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa, he promulgated a new constitution.
He also created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuses. Continuing the former government’s liberal economic policy, his administration introduced measures to encourage land reform, combat poverty, and expand healthcare services.
Internationally, he acted as mediator between Libya and the United Kingdom (UK) in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial, and oversaw military intervention in Lesotho. He declined to run for a second term, and was succeeded by his deputy, Mbeki. Mandela became an elder statesman, focusing on charitable work in combating poverty and HIV/AIDS through the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
He gained international acclaim for his activism, receiving more than 250 honours, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Soviet Order of Lenin and the Bharat Ratna.
Often described as ‘Father of the Nation’ of South Africa, Mandela is popularly referred to by his Xhosa clan name, Madiba.
At the expiration of his first term as South Africa’s first black president; though the South African constitution permitted him to run for another term, he declined to re-contest.
But that was the unique features of Mandela, a man whose very existence exemplifies everything that is good. His other compatriots in the continent would rather die in office than leaving the stage when the ovation is loud.
Man missed by the world
For Professor of Virology and former Minister of Petroleum, Tam David-West, African leaders must emulate Mandela if they must remain relevant.
“African leaders should learn from him, not to be sending condolence messages that are empty essentially. If they want to send condolence messages to appreciate Mandela, African leaders must learn from Mandela,” he said.
Adding, he said Mandela is being celebrated because he was not greedy.
“Mandela was not greedy. Mandela emptied self for leadership. African leaders are for themselves, not for their people. After one term, he voluntarily stepped down for Mbeki. Other African leaders would sit tight because they want to steal more money. If African leaders would emulate Mandela, most African countries will be happy. Mandela taught us to be humble. He showed us that to be great, you must be humble,” he said.
A public affairs analyst, Ogubundu Nwadike, said Mandela would be missed for a very long time.
“Mandela was just too much. The world will miss him for a long time. The memory of his death is still fresh. He is still alive in the memories of many people,” Nwadike added.
