Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela: 1918 - 2013

A Young Nelson Mandela

The life and achievements of Nelson Mandela have been well-documented this week, and it is impossible to articulate the reverence in which he is held by Africans and non-Africans alike.

 The greatest icon of the 20th century departed this Earth on the 5th of December. It is hard to imagine what 27 years of incarceration must do to a man, let alone a lifetime of dedication to the cause of freedom in which family and friends came second.

 Ardently opposed to the discrimination of his Black, Coloured and Indian compatriots, Mandela was at the vanguard of the African National Congress in the fight against the last bastion of the White supremacists.

 Mandela's strongest asset wasn't his endurance, his courage or his commitment to the cause; it was his ability to forgive. How many of us would find in our hearts to put a lifetime's pain aside for the cause of liberty? In choosing truth and reconciliation, Mandela chose not to light the fuse which could have set South Africa ablaze in racial and ethnic conflict.

 It's wrong for non-South Africans to refer to Mandela as Madiba. The term has little resonance for people who absorb it from the media and do not know its origins. Instead, let us call him by his name, Nelson Mandela, which is now a permanent symbol of hope and freedom around the world.

But his death is also a watershed moment for Africa. What Mandela fought against was the old Africa, that of de jure dominance, exploitation and oppression by Europeans.

 Those days are gone, and Africa needs to look forward instead of back. Is there a modern Mandela in Lusaka or Libreville? Who will lead Africa against its new enemies?