Happy birthday Madiba!

On Friday, July 18, Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela, one of history’s great icons will celebrate his 90th birthday.

His life, like most of ours, has had its ups and downs. My profound respect, however, and the respect of millions of my generation for the man stems from the fact that despite being a political prisoner fighting for equality and justice in his own country for almost three decades, he emerged as a brilliant healer of the great black and white divide.

The year 1990 was a watershed year for me. I saw the much hoped for fall of communism in the aftermath of the destruction of the Berlin Wall. Saddam Hussain and his army invaded and looted Kuwait, forcing millions like me to start life from scratch after losing everything. Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady of the United Kingdom and a woman I respected, along with Indira Gandhi, resigned from her premiership. Lech Walesa, another human rights activist, became president of Poland. And, most important of all, Nelson Mandela, the South African freedom fighter was free at last after spending over 27 years in prison.

Time magazine’s managing editor Richard Stengel, who collaborated with Mandela to write his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, returned to South Africa to meet with the great leader and writes succinctly in this week’s issue on his eight lessons of leadership. 1. Courage is not an absence of fear – it’s inspiring others to move beyond it. 2. Lead from the front, but don’t leave your base behind. 3. Lead from the back, but let others believe they are in front.

4. Know your enemy and learn about his favourite sport. 5. Keep your friends close and your rivals even closer. 6. Appearances matter – and remember to smile. 7. Nothing is black or white. 8. Quitting is leading too.

Nelson Mandela’s Xhosa birth name is Rolihlahla, which literally means "pulling down the branch of a tree", but the real meaning is "troublemaker".

Mandela, a lawyer by profession, has always been an astute politician, and yes, he did stir up huge trouble for decades, campaigning against unjust laws in his own country. And yet, he was inclusive of all South Africans – black and white – to build a new rainbow nation. Also, he is one of the few African leaders who voluntarily stepped down from power to pass the baton of democracy to others.

A champion of stick-fighting as a carefree boy roaming the veldt of South Africa, Mandela went on to champion the cause of freedom and democracy, became the world’s best known political prisoner, won the Nobel Peace prize, was elected president, became the father of a nation and a gracious grandfather to the rest of the world.

Many happy returns of the day.

Nirmala Janssen
editor@alnisrmedia.com

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