It was shocking on hearing the demise of our great hero ,a man that has endangered his life for fighting the course of freedom.it is indeed a great loss not to southAfrica alone but to the entire continent and beyond.however, Like it said there is time for everything in life "a time to live and time to die" ,but our very own MADIBA has left us legacies and lessons that should continually resound in our daily life.
There are 11 lessons (from many) that I would like to share from his legacy which
would help us make a small but positive mark in our society.
Here they are:
1. Determination in fighting for the right thing.
Nelson Mandela’s fought against
apartheid for was a struggle of more than 50
years from 1943 when he joined ANC to 1994
when South Africa became independent and
he became president. Of these years, 27 were
in prison.
2. Never sell out on your beliefs.
Nelson Mandela while still serving in prison had
repeated offers from the apartheid regime to
accept release for independence in small
portion of South Africa called the Transkei,
from where he hailed from. He simply turned
them all down.
3. Be ready to change your tactics. In 1960
Nelson Mandela together with other leaders
set up the military wing of ANC. After being
released from prison in 1990, Mandela would
eventually renounce all armed tactics and
once again resort to peaceful negotiations.
4. Know the facts. Mandela was an astute
lawyer and during his incarceration, his
jailers in the 1980s, repeatedly attempted to
get him to renounce militarism; however he
remained adamant in his belief that prisoners
cannot enter into contracts – only free men
can negotiate.
5. Admit our mistakes. In interviews later in
life, Mandela admitted that the ANC had
committed some human rights abuses and
even criticized anyone who attempted to deny
it.
6. Reconcile with your enemies. Nelson
Mandela worked on the setting up the Truth &
Reconciliation Commission.
7. Sharing with others.
Mandela has shared
his life in books and through post retirement
charity organizations that work on ills
affecting the world today.
8. Lead from the front. When the Springboks
rugby team won the 1995 rugby world cup,
Nelson Mandela presented the winner’s
trophy to the Captain Francois Pienaar while
wearing a replica of Pienaar’s no. 6
Springboks t-shirt. This was a symbol that
served to further heal the very tangible racial
tension, in South Africa.
9. Letting go. Nelson Mandela became
President in 1994 and in 1999 chose not to
run for a second term , yet he could have won
by a landslide. He instead handed over to
Thabo Mbeki.
10. Smile. Mandela is also known for his big
smile when he is meeting with people all over
the world.
11. Serve humbly. Graca Machel once said, “I
found this simple man,” as she described him
in 1998 just before they were married. Indeed
his actions of “letting go” of a presidency, of
forgiving his captors, serving tea to his
guests, and many more are testament to the
humility and person of Nelson Mandela.
If applied, these lessons would make the
world a better place.
may God bless Nelson Mandela and give his family the fortitude to bear the loss ..(amen)
.....live on MADIBA ! Adieu
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