Exams English

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the former president of South Africa, died Thursday. He was one of those committed citizens. Born in 1918 into a family of privilege, he was of aristocratic cloth. However, he realized early on that in order to unite and liberate all of South Africa he had to commit class suicide by resisting the divide-and-conquer mentality of the apartheid regime. As a boxer, attorney and revolutionary, he fully understood that the elements of self-sacrifice, humility and persistence represented the “canary in the coal mine” if victory was to be obtainable.Visionary

He was a Xhosa, yet ethnicity did not make him myopic. Further, he understood that in order for South Africa, much less the African continent, to unite, there had to be a common denominator — that of being an African. That, in itself, was a revolutionary act, because at those times Africa was merely a geographical location and not a mentality. He was what so many of us strive to be, an upright moral crusader for social change. Was Mandela perfect? A saint? Absolutely not, however, it is not the similarities that make Mandela special, it is his uniqueness. After spending 27 years in prison, he spoke of reconciliation, bridge-building, not tyranny and dissent.

Political genius

Mandela was, in a sense, a political genius. He was able to toggle, ever so gingerly, between the needs of the African National Congress, the leading anti-apartheid organization of the time, and those of the Nationalist Party, the party that imprisoned him. By being selfless, he was able to negotiate in good faith for a nation who never knew the burden he was carrying.

Statesman

Elected in 1994, he voluntarily stepped down after one term, not because he couldn’t win a second term, or, in fact, be president for life. He stepped down for the sole purpose of being an example of what African democracy could look like. He understood that as soon as he stepped out of prison the eyes of the world would be forever tracking him, he understood that responsibility and acted accordingly.

Humanitarian

Mandela believed that the best way for South Africa to grow was to not live life in the rearview mirror. He knew that there were atrocities done on both sides, yet chose to create the healing mechanism of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission versus a prosecutorial tribunal. He believed in wisdom, compassion and forgiveness.

To me, Nelson Mandela represents the best of what humanity has to offer. He was a shining example of grace under fire, democratic ideas, passion and purpose. He will be remembered more for what he had the power to do but did not do, as true power is knowing how to use it sparingly, or not at all. Whether it’s in Rochester, South Africa or London, Mandela’s example of leadership is one to be emulated. He showed us that it is the work, not the credit for it, which matters.

“When your work is done, you can rest for eternity.”