FAREWELL MADIBA

 

It was about mid day on this day when the school bell was rung and we were on the assembly ground where we were told to go home after an explanation of the reason for it. ‘Go home’? We said one to another. And the response was yes.

This was in February 1990. Our head teacher told us that Mandela was released from prison. Mandela? Released from prison? The young me just heard the name Mandela for the very first time in my entire life and could not link it to anything I had ever heard so there was no connection in my head. Released from prison? What was special any way? I asked myself.

I later found out he was not even a Nigerian! Alas! What does that have to do with me as I had known public holiday (and emergency one in my case) had always been for special occasion in my Nigeria.

Curiosity took a better part of me and I sought to know more about this released prisoner in far away south Africa for whose cause I had to cut short my learning process for the day and go home to ‘celebrate’.

Trust the political knowledge, exposure and analytical skills of my father. I got almost all the necessary information I needed largely through him and others in the years to follow.

 

I cannot also forget a popular South African musician who was then resident in Nigeria – Shaka shaka (or so, was her name)– and her popular ‘Oh oh oh oh free Mandela’ song

I learnt about a man who was imprisoned for 27 years! Ah! 27 straight years behind bars.Not because he was caught stealing, robbing a fellow man or even that he killed someone but because he was fighting against the oppression of his people in their land by a ‘little but powerful group’.

I learnt about a man who was offered freedom on conditions but refused to let go of just one of his causes of struggle.

I learnt about a determined man whose only goal was a truly free South Africa or nothing.

I learnt about NELSON ROLIHLAHLA MANDELA who is popularly referred to as MADIBA – his clan name – or more fondly as TATA.

My interest in this man was not really much until after I had watched him take his oath of office as President of the truly independent South Africa in 1994 with his daughter standing in place of his divorced wife - Winnie- when I ‘overheard’ that this man promised only a five (5) year single term and he would leave as President! This was at the time when military rule was the norm in Africa .When our legacy was head of states and some who called themselves Presidents (mostly unelected though) being in position for God knows how long. This was the era of Mobutu Seseseko, Laurent Gbagbo, Mugabe and even in Nigeria, we just ‘pushed away’ Ibrahim Babangida and the dark glasses wearing kano born General Abacha who would cost us several years of prayer and fasting for divine intervention was still holding the seat of power tight.

 

A man who had the golden opportunity of declaring himself President for life ( like Ugandan’s Idi Amin) when such declaration would have had little or no resistance because of his unquantifiable sacrifice decided not to even go for a well deserved and duly qualified for second term. That is the height of statesmanship.

He was a man who knew the mind of the English man who says ‘it is good to leave the stage when the ovation is loud’. He was a man who understood both time and timing.

I am neither a political nor economic analyst and thus lack the expertise to analyse his performance in office as President. But I can infer that if his country can still boast of good health and education system amidst others – to which his treatment within the shore of South Africa and preference for treatment and education over there by my fellow Nigerians allude- I can say that he did not bastardize the ‘good’ facilities left by the apartheid government and did not run down her economy in his five year rule.

Another enviable thing I learnt from Madiba was his resolution to withdraw from politics and truly stepped aside. He became an elder statesman by default and not a god father. He had all the chances and right (in a way) to nominate his daughters as President, Legislators and other positions in South Africa but did not take undue advantage of this. He could have become a tin god to any leader in the land but Madiba held his head high.

He was unlawfully and unjustly imprisoned for a lawful and noble cause which eventually became reality but Tata did not see it as an opportunity to get back at his accusers when he eventually held sway as the ‘commander-in-chief. He knew the only way for him to be truly free was to free his mind from hatred towards his captors. He rather preached peace and lived it. He championed reconciliation when he was supposed to be calling for heads to roll. He separated the man from the cause, he did not personalise issue.

All he foresaw in his fight was a truly free and peaceful South Africa and he pursued that vigorously.

Khulu - great one-, you really had to go after the struggle with old age related diseases which was no doubt aggravated by the 18 years in Robben Island prison. You did not only touch SA but the whole of Africa, but the whole of the world.You were a man who was great in life and even far greater in death. I saw Barrack Obama, George Bush and the Clintons at your memorial; almost all African leaders were either there or nowhere else. Tata, even Robert Mugabe was there, UN Secretary Ban ki moon, AU chairman, our own OBJ and GEJ were all among the leaders saying Adieu Madiba.Your grandchildren gave wonderful speeches.Thabo Mbeki and even the old Archbishop Desmond Tutu were present. Jacob Zuma hosted them all for you Madiba.

Though you were 95 – a very ripe age in this age and time- we still felt you should have stayed longer.

Madiba, twenty three years after I first heard about you, your profile has kept on towering high. You were a symbol of hope for good leadership in Africa. Though you might have your shortcomings, you still held your head high.

The first time I decided to be a voluntary journalist, the article I wrote on was for Nelson Mandela. My research made me know other names you had and got to know it was your teacher that named you Nelson. I knew that your clan name was Madiba and that you had other names like Rolihlahla and Dalibhunga.

I join the rest of the world to bid you farewell to the land of forever, I sincerely hope you will be at the bosom of the almighty where you will have the real rest in paradise. I really hope you embraced the gospel which would be your guaranty to rest eternal.

Farewell MADIBA, Adieu NELSON ROLIHLAHLA DALIBHUNGA MANDELA –The greatest African ever lived.

(c) 2013 Kolajo Oladele Oluwaseyi (10^th Dec.,2013)

*Oladele is an engineer and it's a pity Madiba will not be able to attend his wedding on the 21st December. News and Muse wishes him Happy Married Life in advance!!!