Magnetic Mandela

Quote

“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” Abraham Lincoln

News

Despite having left the South African presidency in 1999 and stepped out of public life nine years ago, the ailing Nelson Mandela is still a central figure in South African politics and society.  Not because he may hold some power behind the scenes in the ANC, nor because he intervenes in political affairs.  Rather it is due to the extraordinary relational footprint he has left in the nation.

The history of South Africa over the last 20 years could have been very different had Mandela not been such a remarkable leader relationally.  Despite the inhuman conditions of Robben Island prison, Mandela treated his captors with courtesy and respect, to the point where some felt they were more like Mandela’s guests than his jailers. 

Following his release he engaged with the white government leaders with dignity and courage, which slowly won their trust and allowed a passage towards peaceful elections.  Mandela could so easily have been driven by bitterness, resentment and anger which could have led the country towards showdown and civil war.

Other stories are still being told of how Mandela gained the loyalty of the white elite by keeping the same security staff in the presidential palace after coming to power.  The film Invictus tells how he earned the trust of the wider white population by embracing the Springboks – who epitomised Apartheid – and enthusiastically supporting their successful bid to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Mandela’s domestic life was more troubled, and his first two marriages ended in divorce. Nevertheless, his remarkable accomplishment of uniting South Africans across racial and tribal divides, and leading them peacefully from Apartheid to democracy, explains the enduring influence which this frail 94 year old still exerts from his hospital bed – right round the world. 

There is a magnetic power in this remarkable person; no wonder no one wants to let him go.

Read on…

The trial of Nelson Mandela in 1964 led to his 27 years of imprisonment; read his remarkable speech at that trial, carefully documenting the grievances of the black South African population and the ANC’s strategy here.  

Walk the talk

Treating people who are prejudiced against you with dignity and respect can be transformative of the relationship; is there someone you need to respond to in the opposite spirit?

The last word

From the Bible, Matthew 5, verse 39: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”