In the forgiving footsteps of Nelson Mandela

... a true African Prince of Peace!

Benjamin Franklin wrote to his mother while he was still in his early forties, that after his death he’d rather have it said of him “he lived useful,” than “he died rich.” Talking about good name is better than riches, Mobutu of former Zaire and Sani Abacha of Nigeria died as some of the richest (state)men in Africa and nobody gave a hell about their deaths. Their deaths were even celebrated-- something that rarely happens in Africa! Mandela dies and the whole world is thrown into one gigantic mourning theater. Now, somebody tell those narcissistic greedy bastards we still have as head of states in Africa that maybe, it doesn't always pay to compromise integrity for money. Maybe if many of you followed the footsteps of Mandela by choosing principles over filthy lucre, you could grow to become the kind of leaders who have the character, wisdom, and heart to become understanding and empathetic citizens capable of serving your countrymen and country in selflessness, fairness, altruism and humility.

If only Africa had three of his kind! When Africa needed him most, he was locked down. Post colonial Africa was betrayed and robbed of your wisdom and bravery, which were necessary to lead us to a new beginning. So Mama Africa became a loosed confederation led by visionless sadistic vultures who feasted on their own people.

But 27 years later, you emerged as a prisoner turned president who broke apartheid and gave us, the sons and daughters of Mama Africa, new hope. With your release, White South Africans approved constitutional reforms that gave legal equality to blacks. With the reforms, Apartheid, one of the most evil systems in the 20th century, was finally brought down. And now, your former enemies are mourning your well deserved departure. But then I realized the hypocrisy of western media and politics long time ago in how both institutions related to apartheid. The West practically upheld apartheid all those years and only saw it fit to let go when the cold war was no more. Machiavelli taught me the content of politics isn't necessarily driven by what's morally right but rather the fear and ignorance of the masses coupled with the interest of the rich who finances the policy maker.

But as the true African Prince of Peace you were, you defiled the Machiavellian principle and showed the world that politics need not be separated from kindness, gentility, forgiveness, caring and brotherly love. When your brothers and sisters took swords to avenge their wounds, you single handedly licked their wounds and destroyed your enemies by treating them as valued friends. Nay, brothers even!

And now your former enemies, converted, mourn you with your friends and family. As we mourn him, we shouldn't forget that we owe it to ourselves and future generations to always look back and curse the past for allowing such a devlish system to exist for four decades. His death must never be allowed to become just another news soon to be forgotten and substituted with some senseless twerking story of another western rich celebrity. Apartheid was not only a thorn in the flesh of black people, it was rather a shameful painful indignation to any freedom loving and fair-minded human being. It indeed forever remains a disgusting chapter of human history but Nelson Mandela came to show us that, above all, love conquers everything. Thank God for the life of Nelson Mandela; for he existed purposely to teach Africans how to forgive and world leaders, especially Africans, how to lead with compassion. Blessed, indeed, are those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. Sleep well, Madiba, the peace maker!

Dominic Mensah.

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