Nelson Mandela: The Captain Of His Soul

This is a belated remembrance of Nelson Mandela-the first, objective obit in Interactive. This attempts to see Mandela’s illustrious life without any reference to streams of thought and ideologies that influenced him-like multiculturalism, Islam and Gandhism (articles on each of these were already carried). This is part of our project to initiate continuous discourses on personalities who contributed to the world of difference we live in

“I’m the master of my fate

I’m the captain of my soul”

These lines of Hanley resonated in the veins of Nelson Mandela who left this world on 5 December 2013 after completing a full course of significant life. His walk to freedom was literally long as the title of his autobiography suggests. He made his way through the dark alleys of racial discrimination to find the light at the end of the tunnel. He had to sacrifice 27 years of his precious life behind bar to reach his destination.  Nelson Mandela was destined to rewrite the history of South Africa which had notoriously been the hot bed of racial prejudice and discrimination for centuries since the advent of settler colonialism.

Nelson Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 at Mvezo into Xhosa tribe. His father Gadla Henry Mphakanyswa was the chieftain of his tribe. “Rolihalahla” was the name given to Mandela. It meant “pulling the branch of a tree” or rather metaphorically, ‘the trouble maker’. He was bound to represent the meaning of given name later to the discontent of the white regime. Mandela was the first of his family to go to school. At school the teacher customarily gave him an English name ‘Nelson’ – the first step of humanizing process?!. As he grew people affectedly called him Madhiba, Tata or Lulu

Mandela enjoyed his school and college life. In 1940, while studying at Fort Hare University collage things began to change. Being a member of the student representative council he ‘shook the branch of the tree’ by protesting against the low quality of food. Consequently, he was shown the door. However he could complete his BA in private. He got rolled for LLB at Witz University in 1943 only to abandon it midway. Nevertheless, he later took a diploma in legal service and qualified to practice as a pleader.

following the expulsion from Fort Hare University college Mandela took a short term job as night watchman at a gold mine in Johonnaberg wherefrom he was introduced to Walter Sisulu, who later become the leader of African National Congress (ANC). “Walter’s house was my home away from home” says Mandela in his autobiography. He continues: “In 1940s, it actually was my home when I had no other place to stay. The house was always full, and it seemed there was a perpetual discussion going on about politics”. This new environment triggered a sweep change in Mandela’s life and career. Law and politics become his passion there forth. He made friendship with African radicals which were a breakthrough not only in the life of Mandela but in the very history of South Africa. With the aim of changing the seemingly set-in ways of African National Congress (ANC) Mandela took an active step in the formation of its dynamic offshoot Youth League.

The rest is history.

The white Afrikaner National Party Government of South Africa enforced apartheid policy in 1948 restricting the entry of blacks to the public places. Mandela and his comrades launched agitation against the government. ANC sought help from communist and other revolutionary groups to mobilize mass support for the agitation. The call for civil disobedience was received well by the people. The oppressed woke up and smelt coffee and joined hands against the oppressors. “Tough with tough” (to borrow Abraham Lincoln’s phrase) was the policy adopted by Mandela for the time being. As Mandela himself made it clear the nature of resistance is defined by the nature of oppression. Those who did not comprehend the language of Gandian peace had to be answered in terms of muscle and might. A “rainbow alliance” was eventually floated incorporating all groups. All prominent but mutually exclusive Ideologies like Gandism, Marxism and Western Liberalism influenced him in shaping his thoughts. He wanted to achieve synergy between these streams of thought to fight against the ever widening darkness around him. ANC declared a more assertive Freedom Charter. They advocated the redivision of land on an equitable basis; the abolition of colour bars prohibiting Africans from doing skilled work; and the need for free and compulsory education. During the campaign, Mandela travelled extensively throughout the country. The membership of the ANC shot up from 20,000 to 100,000.  Quite naturally, the Apartheid government smelt a rat. As a result, on 5 December, 1956 Mandela was arrested on charge of ‘high treason’ along with his 155 fellow comrades. “Despite the hardships, our spirits remained extremely high”- recalls Mandela about his first spell in jail. After a few weeks the leaders were released with a condition not to attend public gatherings.

Nelson Mandela’s stance turned harder after the Sharperville massacre of March 1960 when 69 Africans were shot to death while staging a protest rally against the Pass Law which further limited the freedom of the blacks. Mandela sharpened his views and formed a new organizational weapon by the name “Spearhead of the Nation”. He went underground to lead the struggle from behind the screen. He even made his way as far as Morocco and Ethiopia to amass support. In 1962 he came home and eventually arrested by the police on two charges: 1) Left the country without a passport, and 2) Instigated people to revolt. What followed was star marked in history as Revonia Trial. The prosecutor demanded his flesh, blood and breath. Nothing short of capital punishment could have made him happy. It is said that the Judge also shared the same mood. Mandela was advised by all his well-wishers to soften his stand in the court. Ignoring the learned pieces of advice, Mandela concluded his statement of defense directly looking into the eyes of the Judge: “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination; and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die”.

Something made the Judge alter his secretly fixed agenda and pronounced Life Imprisonment. The next 18 years Nelson Mandela patiently spent in the loneliness and ruggedness of the remote Robben Island cutting lime stones in the scorching heat and stitching mail bags.  He was not even granted parole to pay tribute when his mother passed away in 1968 or when his eldest son died in a road mishap the next year.  In 1982 Mandela was shifted to Pollsmor prison to spend another nine painful years. To the South African racist Government and the West he was a “terrorist”. (Interestingly, America retained his name in its terrorist list till 1990!). However, human right groups and leftist organizations started the “Free Nelson Mandela” campaigns in various parts of the world. There was huge pressure on the South African government to release him. The P W Botha government offered conditional freedom to Mandela which he categorically rejected saying “Only a free man can negotiate agreements”. For him, ‘dying for liberation was better than living in chains’. As the white regime imposed a ban the world didn’t see even his photo for 22 years, until The Guardian published one in 1986.

Thanks to the worldwide protests Nelson Mandela was released on 11 February 1990. The ban of ANC was lifted. In 1991 he was elected the president of ANC. Two years later, in 1993, the West partially honored Mandela by awarding a share of the prestigious Nobel Prize for peace. (The other half went to D Clerk, the then South African President). In 1994 in the first ever democratic election in the history of South Africa Nelson Mandela elected the president of the country with 62% of vote.

What do we expect then from a black fire brand normally? Vengeance? Ruthless revenge? Pettiness? Settling of scores? No. Nothing like that happened. In a dignified, noble, gracious way Mandela upheld the ever green slogan   “forget and forgive” till his last breath. As many pointed out he taught the modern world the true meaning of forgiveness in an unparalleled practical terms. He literally surprised the white with kindness and compassion. To the world’s big astonishment and bewilderment he specially invited the prosecutor who cried for his hanging on the floor of court during Revonia Trial. His jailor at the Robben Island prison was also an important guest at his swearing in ceremony.

He wanted to build a nation where whites and blacks work shoulder to shoulder for a bright future. He was willing to go to any extent for this. Despite the strong and unanimous objections from his colleagues and followers he restored the Springborks. Thus he won the heart and soul of the oppressors. In other words he liberated them from their narrowness. Once again he stunned the world when he declined to contest a second time after the completion of his tenure as President in 1999. Had he intended he could be the life time president of South Africa? By stepping down from power a bit earlier than the right time he gloriously set another example for healthy democracy – a lesson every leader should learn.

Critical observers may find one or two shortcomings or loopholes in his economic as and political strategies and policies. In a unipolar world he could not have come across many options except to rely upon IMF or World Bank. The world he saw after his release was totally different from the one he had seen prior to his captivity.  The changed world scenario and the immediate realities he faced might have influenced his visions. We should not forget the fact that he identified himself with Yasser Arafat, Fidel Castro and Muammar Qddafi who were not in the good book of Western Imperialists.

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Infoeditor