19 July 2011
editorial
Nairobi — Former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is a phenomenon.
Not many people live to be 90 — at least not in Africa, where life expectancy is, on average, 55. But Madiba marked his 93rd birthday on Monday, and reverence for him keeps growing.
What is the secret of this man who has turned out to be the most enduring icon for Africa?
Who can ever forget that he dedicated 67 years of his life to public service even when he languished in prison for 27 of those years?
Only the very young may have no idea of Mandela’s contribution to the struggle to free South Africa from the evil apartheid regime, eventually ushering in multiracial democracy in a country that had for decades entrenched segregation as state policy.
That he became South Africa’s first black president is not as significant as his decision to give up power before he became enmeshed in the African brand of messy politics and soil his reputation.
Afterwards, he dedicated his days to serving as a peace-maker in many African trouble-spots.
Though Madiba is fully retired and physically feeble, we are yet to hear the final word from this great African, the like of who we are unlikely to see in our lifetime.
AllAfrica – All the Time
See the original post:
South Africa: Hail the Great Mandela