For many, Nelson Mandela’s name is synonymous with courage, patience, compromise and reconciliation. More than anything else, I remember him for his decency, dignity, humility and resilience.
The towering figure of South Africa’s struggle for freedom became an inspiration for all who fight for equal rights and peace around the globe.
His death at the age of 95 touched all corners of the world as seen in headlines gathered by World Crunch. http://www.worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/goodbye-mandela-59-front-pages-from-around-the-world/nelson-mandela-madiba-south-africa-apartheid-president/c1s14337/#.UqIWdZpFCM_
The media in Turkey once again stood apart. With a few exceptions, the death of Mandela didn’t make it prominently to front pages of Turkey’s newspapers.
Both in the mainstream and social media, the majority of comments referred to his refusal in 1992 to accept the Ataturk Award given to him by the Government of Turkey.
At the time, there were harsh words uttered about Mandela in the Turkish press. Perhaps the most odious headline was that of the national daily, Hurriyet, calling him “The Ugly African”.
The African National Congress put out a statement on the 12th of May 1992, pointing out that Nelson Mandela had spent his whole life in the service of democracy, human rights and freedom from oppression. He categorically did not want the award which was previously given to the leader of the 1982 military coup and later- president of Turkey, General Kenan Evren. The ANC made it clear that their attitude did not reflect “any negative view of Kemal Ataturk, the reformer and founder of modern Turkey” in whose name the award was given.
It was also no secret at the time that Mandela objected to Turgut Özal government’s underhand trading with South Africa during the years of the apartheid.
Turkey wasn’t the only country that had a very negative view of the struggle of the black leader against the white regime of South Africa in those days.
The British Prime minister Margaret Thatcher, in 1987, called the ANC a typical terrorist organisation and said ‘ Anyone who thinks it is going to run the government in South Africa is living in cloud-cuckoo land’ .
Mrs Thatcher didn’t believe in talking to terrorists and for many years, steadfastly stuck to her sanction breaking position towards the apartheid regime.
It now turns out that it was another experienced stateswoman, the Queen of the UK and the Commonwealth, who urged the Prime Minister to tone down her policy on South Africa.
To be fair, Margaret Thatcher did push for Mandela’s release from prison. Mandela was received in London both before and after his election to the presidency with respect.
Paying tribute to Mandela after his death, Lord Renwick, the former British Ambassador to South Africa reminded us the meeting in Downing Street between Thatcher and the freshly released Nelson Mandela in 1990. When it lasted so long, the press outside the Prime Minister’s office sang “Free Nelson Mandela” song.
The Conservative Party of Margaret Thatcher changed its stance on Mandela and twelve years later David Cameron admitted that the Conservatives had been wrong about the ANC.
Today, the flags in the UK fly at half-mast and the Parliament plans to hold an unprecedented session next week to honour Nelson Mandela.
Since the announcement of his death, there have been many tributes paid to Mandela by politicians, literary figures and celebrities but I was touched by the very personal memories of two of my journalist friends.
The first one is by my former BBC colleague, Emily Kasriel, whose photo you see with this blog entry. Writing in http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/emily-kasriel/nelson-mandela-global-icon_b_4396635.html?utm_hp_ref=uk Emily recalls her meeting with Mandela in South Africa. As a BBC reporter, she witnessed first- hand, how the former ANC army soldiers, recently incorporated but not happily integrated into the South African Defense Force challenging their President. She saw Mandela’s helicopter landing, the president coming out walking straight into the furious crowd and speaking to many of them personally.
“Only after he had heard the details of their lives, and projected to them personally his deep sense of humanity and compassion, did he address the whole crowd, and explained to them the importance of now having a single South African army and the need for both discipline and patience. When he spoke, the soldiers listened carefully. When he finished they returned to their barracks, quiet, peaceful, and satisfied” recalls Emily.
The second personal recollection comes from my friend, the former Financial Times editor and correspondent David Lennon and his wife Vicky.
David and Vicky remember listening to a mesmerizing Nelson Mandela speak just before the elections in 1994.
In their tribute they wrote that the most extra-ordinary aspect of his contribution to the world in which we live was his forgiveness for his enemies.
“Two years ago we revisited South Africa and found many flaws, but the one thing we did not encounter was hostility or hatred towards us as white people. The slogan: “Free Nelson Mandela” also tells us that Mandela freed us from racial hatred and hatred of the oppressor” they say.
For me, too, what set Nelson Mandela a world apart was his steely determination to fight prejudice and discrimination wherever he came across it.
“To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others” he said.
Mandela did not want to be turned into a cult figure.
Perhaps, what kept him firmly on the ground was partly his decision to surround himself with strong and wise men and women. Among them was another Nobel peace laureate, Desmond Tutu. The man who dubbed South Africa “the rainbow nation” was characteristically outspoken about sanctification of his friend Mandela. “He is only one pebble on the beach” Desmond Tutu said “Not an insignificant pebble, I’ll grant you that, but a pebble all the same”.
Like all great leaders that made their mark in history, Mandela had many weaknesses, too. He had regretted neglecting his family in long years of struggle. He was said to be inattentive to detail in state affairs. His nominated successor, Thabo Mbeki was a bad choice. Mbeki’s misguided policy on HIV/AIDS was a disaster for South Africa.
19 years of democracy, albeit with its flaws, is the greatest legacy Nelson Mandela left to his country.
For the rest of us, he set a shining example of a statesman and a good human being.
This post is also available in: Turkish
Leave a Reply