Tribute to Nelson Mandela

NELSON MANDELA MUST NOT DIE, Selorm Kofi Dake writes from Accra, Ghana.

I was but a very young boy when Nelson Mandela was released from prison,

after 27 years, back in 1990. There was spontaneous jubilation and

celebration in Have, the village my father was then serving as a

Presbyterian pastor. It was a big deal! I exclaimed to myself, considering

the sheer explosion of joy and the magnitude of celebrations that engulfed

every street, every corner and almost every home that day. However, it was

almost after a decade that I truly got to understand and to appreciate what

a single strong-willed man had accomplished for an entire nation and its

ramifications for the lives of all the people of South Africa.

I therefore became a curious reader and over the years got to know Nelson

Mandela better and better. Indeed, after reading his address to the Supreme

Court of South Africa in Pretoria in 1964, I was so humbled by the sheer

determination of one man to ensure that South Africa does not continue to

be held hostage by the apartheid system of governance and more so when he

courageously affirmed he was prepared to pay ultimately with his life, if

necessary:

'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.', Nelson Mandela, 'Speech from the

Dock', April 20, 1964.

Needless to say, Nelson Mandela remains an iconic figure of inspiration to

many people, in many countries across the globe and could be aptly

described as the 'binding force' holding both the black and white sides of

the divide together harmoniously in present day South Africa. His presence

alone served as a unifying force behind the nation, a deterrent to

extremists of radical ideology and made almost everyone 'behave well'.

However, recent developments regarding the legacy of Nelson Mandela, even

as he turned 95 makes it imperative for some honest discussions to be done

by all those who are concerned about the future of South Africa, openly and

dispassionately. It is within this context that I share a few thoughts on

the future of South Africa, particularly as the legend moves on to greater

glory in the heavens today:

First, the ANC must realize that the ideals for which Nelson Mandela had

lived and fought his entire life for are all about improving the lives of

the greatest majority of South Africans. In other words, the political

liberation of black South Africans is meaningless unless it translates into

the socio-economic emancipation of same people, from whom the government

derives its legitimacy. Reading through Nelson Mandela's 'Speech in the

Dock' delivered in 1964 to the Supreme Court of South Africa made me feel

as though Mandela was to a very large extent writing about present day

South Africa, calling for social justice for South Africans who have been

left behind in education, skills training, employment and in participation

in the governance process of their country. The ANC must not die, but for

that to stand true over the many years to come, it must realize that

empowering the masses through quality education and giving them the

opportunity to make decent living through employment or enterprise creation

is at the core of its legitimacy and survival. The vast mineral resources

and the revenues from the economic boom in that country must directly be

channeled to better the lot of the people-in other words, the ANC must

deliver for the majority of the people, not enriching a few elitist groups

of leaders instead, period!

Further, the ANC must work towards the consolidation of unity within its

ranks since increasingly dissention and in-fighting have become major

features within the party. Nelson Mandela achieved his mission on the

platform of the ANC so it is a moral duty on the part of the current

leadership of the ANC to ensure that the same political vehicle-the

ANC-lives on as a tribute to Mandela.

Second, ALL South Africans must re-dedicate and re- commit themselves to

the promotion of national unity, tolerance and respect for one another as a

moral and national duty. The beauty of the RAINBOW NATION lies in the

harmony between its many colours of race and culture. That is what Nelson

Mandela stands for and will continue to represent in many years to come.

Efforts at FURTHER promoting race relations and understanding between the

different cultures will go a long way to cement the gains chalked by South

Africa as a nation so far. After all, development can only be accomplished

when peace truly prevails and the rule of law works for all.

Also, there must be a conscientious effort by the leadership of South

Africa to identify, empower and equip the next generation of leaders for

South Africa. All too often, leaders retire or pass on without grooming a

capable team of successors, therefore jeopardizing the very vision, ideals

and dreams they hold dear to heart. The development of transformational

leaders who are adequately prepared to carry on the mantle of leadership

from academia, to civil society, to business through to national partisan

politics in the verisimilitude of Nelson Mandela (and his peers such as

Walter Sisulu, Steve Biko, Govan Mbeki, Oilver Tambo, Ahmed Kathrada,

Raymond Mhlaba, Denis Goldberg, Elias Motsoaledi and Andrew Mlangeni) will

be a lasting legacy in honour of the nation's first Black President.

Indeed, when I say Nelson Mandela must not die, I am not referring to the

mortality of his physical body but rather the immortality of his love for

country, his compassion for humanity and his unending passion for social

justice as well as his VISION of a strong and united South Africa!

***Selorm Kofi Dake is a proud citizen of Ghana and a British Chevening

Scholar. He holds Masters in International Business and Entrepreneurship

from Essex Business School, UK and BSc Chemical Engineering from KNUST,

Ghana. He is the Co-founder of the Association of Young Entrepreneurs (AYE)

Ghana and Founder & President of Global Generation Africa. Email:

kofidake@gmail.com Cell: +233-26-8029503