Amaechi remembers ‘a legend’

The Chairman of the Governors Forum and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi said this morning of the late Nelson Mandela: “He was a legend. A true African hero. He led the fight against apartheid that brought democracy to South Africa.
“As President, he led South Africa extremely well and became a symbol of good and exemplary leadership in Africa and beyond.
“History will always remember Madiba, he became the symbol of hope for all. Indeed the world has lost a fine, great and wonderful person. Humanity has lost one of its finest.
“My thoughts and prayers are with his family, the government and people of South Africa. The world has lost a hero. Adieu Madiba.”
Source: The Nation

It’s time for celebration, reflection, says Fayemi

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi spoke this morning on the passage of the icon Nelson Mandela.
He said: “The passing of Nelson Mandela after his prolonged hospitalisation should not be a cause for sadness on any account. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and offer our prayers to them and the people of South Africa. But we also recognise that his passing at the ripe old age of 95 is a fitting crown to the rich full life that Madiba lived, playing a starring role in what is surely the 20th century’s most compelling odyssey of human freedom from tyranny.
“Rather than mourning, Mandela’s transition into glory should be an occasion for celebration and reflection. Firstly, we celebrate the final consummation of a life well spent. The phrase “a life well spent” which is commonly used in obituaries has become an overworked cliché but in the case of Madiba it is not a cliché at all. It is more than worthily applied to describe a man who expended his energies in the service of humanity, risking everything including his life to actualize the ideal of freedom. It is this exemplary life that we have much cause to celebrate.
Even, as we revel in the honour and blessing of having lived to witness the life and times of one of history’s most iconic political figures, we must also ponder his luminous legacy. His death closes an epic story of the triumph of the human spirit over injustice and tyranny.
“Born into a country characterised by apartheid and racial hate, where the black majority was ruled by a white supremacist minority, Mandela discovered his cause and his life’s mission early enough. As the liberation movement’s most prominent militant leader, Mandela had been effective as a shadowy and elusive figure orchestrating sabotage attacks on government facilities and showcasing the ability of a long-oppressed people to fight for their freedom.
“But as a prisoner, he became the symbol of apartheid’s oppressive inhumanity. It was Mandela’s face that readily came to mind when people the world over thought and talked about South Africa. His imprisonment helped to mobilise global public opinion and a campaign for international sanctions against South Africa, as well as near universal censure and isolation of the apartheid regime. It was this suffocating and strangulating isolation of South Africa as a pariah state and mounting unrest on the streets that finally compelled reformist elements within the establishment to renegotiate South Africa’s destiny. When Mandela was finally released from prison in 1990, after nearly three decades in the custody of the apartheid state, he emerged as a figure of unparalleled moral authority.
“Mandela successfully negotiated constitutional black majority rule – achieving one of the core aims of the ANC. In so doing, he had to navigate a turbulent period of transition during which chronic violence between Xhosas and Zulus, and between white right wing extremists and black zealots threatened to degenerate into civil war. Remarkably, Mandela emerged from prison preaching forgiveness and reconciliation as the only path to a new and sustainable South Africa. He understood that even as white domination had proven repressive and unjust, so too would black domination prove to be unsustainable. He insisted on the democratic and multi-racial vision enshrined in the freedom charter, the guiding document of the liberation movement.
“He wisely charted a course between the two extremes of black anger and lust for vengeance on one hand as well as white fear and resistance to change on the other. The challenge of doing so was immense because white extremists and black extremists were threatening to unleash death and destruction. Many watchers felt that a racial civil war between whites and blacks and even war between ANC cadres and the Zulu Inkatha Freedom Party were inevitable. Mandela’s conciliatory posture helped to defuse those tensions and shepherd the nation through a transition process that culminated in his election as the first democratically elected president of the country. This is how South Africa was transformed from an apartheid state to a multi-racial democracy – the rainbow country.
“It must be said that the work of liberating South Africa was not Mandela’s alone and he has never claimed any such messianic mantle for himself. His iconic status as a pivotal figure in the odyssey of South African liberation is un-impeachable. But he belonged to a very distinguished cast of leaders that included freedom fighters like Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and Govan Mbeki. And these heroic freedom fighters were themselves the second generation of the struggle ordained by the founders of the African National Congress. They were heirs to Albert Luthuli, John Dube, Sol Plaatje and other heroic patriots. Together these patriots forged a political tradition of such resilience that it altered the course of South Africa’s history.
“This is an important point because the idea of Mandela can be easily reduced to championing the emergence of rare superhuman political saints. This is not the leadership lesson that we should be taking away from Mandela’s odyssey. Mandela was the product of an already established revolutionary tradition. Side by side with his cohorts, great liberation fighters like Tambo and Sisulu, he was comfortable. There was a remarkable absence of personality clashes; egos were submerged in the cause of the greater good of securing a free South Africa. There was little or none of the jostling for leadership that often characterizes liberation movements on the cusp of attaining power.
“This is something we must ponder as we reflect upon the state of leadership in our country. Our challenge is not to produce one messianic leader but to create a tradition of patriotic leadership and raise a corps of leaders bound by a common ethos as was the case with South Africa. As James Freeman Clark said, “A politician thinks of the next election, a statesman, of the next generation.” Leadership is a continuum and for our leadership to truly stand the test of time it must be driven by a trans-generational perspective. We must build up those who will take our exertions for a better society to higher levels. I am convinced that through carefully and consciously developed formal and informal programmes of leadership development, we can build a cadre of young Nigerians who are committed to social transformation and genuinely want to work for change. “This entails a shift away from the idea of the “leader as messiah” – the notion that all it takes to transform our society is the miraculous emergence of one extraordinarily endowed leader. We simply cannot afford to reduce leadership to political Messianism. Mandela, despite his own leadership gifts and his track record, did not think of himself as being indispensable. He relinquished presidential power willingly and gracefully and ceded the limelight to the younger Thabo Mbeki. And when he left office, he wisely refrained from being an overbearing post-presidential presence and let his younger successor fully take up the reins of leadership. In so doing, he was setting an example – that the older generation must give way to the younger and allow their nations move forward.
“Mandela’s willingness to leave power stands in stark contrast to a number of situations in Africa where erstwhile liberation fighters having assumed power have simply found it impossible to relinquish the presidency. Many have become sit-tight despots. Mo Ibrahim set up his annual leadership prize partly to motivate African leaders to give up power and leave the stage willingly. There have been years when no leader was nominated because they track record in office simply did not match the criteria for nomination. This is a pungent commentary on the state of leadership on the continent. Mandela stands as a shimmering example of what real leadership looks like.
“Tributes often read like hagiographies. To be sure, Mandela was not perfect. He made mistakes. Many South Africans feel that the ANC while earning black majority rule did not pay sufficient attention to addressing racially-based economic equality. As a result some of the development indices in the country are actually worse now than they were before Mandela became president. There is much work to be done in the areas of housing, education and employment.
“However, the pursuit of freedom is not accomplished in one generation. Mandela and his generation fought for political liberation. Another generation must now rise up and take up the bottom and begin the battle against inequality and poverty. Fortunately, in Mandela they have the most illustrious of examples to draw from and emulate.”
Adieu, Madiba.
Source:The Nation

Ban Ki-moon expresses profound sadness

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his profound sadness at the passing of Nelson Mandela, extolling the life of the late human rights lawyer, prisoner of conscience, international peacemaker and first democratically-elected President of post-apartheid South Africa as an inspiration for all.
‘Madiba,’ as Mr. Mandela was affectionately known, passed on this afternoon at his home in Johannesburg. He was 95.
“Nelson Mandela was a giant for justice and a down-to-earth human inspiration,” Mr. Ban said at UN Headquarters in New York.
“On behalf of the United Nations, I extend my deepest condolences to the people of South Africa and especially to Nelson Mandela’s family, and indeed our global family.”
Mr. Ban noted that many people worldwide were greatly influenced by Mr. Mandela’s selfless struggle for human dignity, equality and freedom. “He touched our lives in deeply personal ways. At the same time, no one did more in our time to advance the values and aspirations of the United Nations.”
“Nelson Mandela showed what is possible for our world and within each one of us – if we believe, dream and work together for justice and humanity,” said the Secretary-General.
“His moral force was decisive in dismantling the system of apartheid,” said Mr. Ki-moon “Remarkably, he emerged from 27 years of detention without rancour, determined to build a new South Africa based on dialogue and reconciliation.”
Mr. Mandela devoted his life to the service of his people and humanity, and he did so at great personal sacrifice, said the Secretary-General, who said he was moved by the late leader’s “selflessness and deep sense of shared purpose” when the two men met in 2009.
“Let us continue each day to be inspired by his lifelong example and his call to never cease working for a better and more just world.”
Recalling his memories of meeting Mr. Mandela, the Secretary-General said he had been deeply touched and inspired. “When I praised him for his lifelong contribution to end apartheid he said ‘It is not only me, but hundreds and hundreds of known and unknown people that contributed.’ That has stuck with me ever since.”
Source:The Nation

Tinubu: end of an era

ALL Progressives Congress (APC) National leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu reacted this morning to the death of former South African President Nelson Mandela:
The former Lagos governor said: “Mandela’s death signals the end of an era of the generation of African leaders who never coveted power, but used power for the good of the greater number of their people. Africa has indeed lost an Icon, a formidable figure, a man of character and conviction and a political leader unequalled in the history of Africa. His demise is a great loss to Africa. I extend my sympathy to the government and people of South Africa and to the wife and family of Nelson Mandela.”
Tinubu went on: “He represented the moral compass in African leadership and the reference point for transparency and good governance. For long, his compelling story of struggle, prison life and journey to power will remain a classic and a tonic for others that may come after him. The Mandela story will forever resonate across the world and though retold over and over, will never lose its effect and power.
“Mandela demonstrated to the world that the black man is of a higher conscience, strong conviction and brilliance, compassionate and able to master his destiny. That is part of what Mandela represented. He made us proud as Africans. He led and showed us the way. He challenged us to heed the higher calling of selfless service. But much more, he boosted the African spirit and carved a new reputation for Africa in the global world.
“Mandela left a legacy of quality leadership, selfless service and sacrifice and a people centred governance. His legacy will endure. From his life, other African leaders are challenged to do right by their people and submit to democratic ideals. Sadly, we have seen more African leaders jettison or depart from the Mandela option. Many of them have become sit tight leaders, while others amongst them have sought by dubious constitutional processes to elongate their stay in power. They celebrate Mandela, but lack the discipline and morale fortitude of Mandela. They stand in the way of their people progressing and make Africa a laughing stock.
Let his death revive us to the ideals of democracy. Let his political legacy, commitment to his people and the examples he left behind challenge us all to a renewed commitment to make our country and Africa better for the greatest number of her citizens.
Source:The Nation

Desmond Tutu: a colossus is gone

Nelson Mandela is mourned by South Africans, Africans and the international community today as the leader of our generation who stood head and shoulders above his contemporaries — a colossus of unimpeachable moral character and integrity, the world’s most admired and revered public figure.
Not since Kenyatta, Nkrumah, Nyerere and Senghor has Africa seen his like. Looking for comparisons beyond Africa, he will go down in history as South Africa’s George Washington, a person who within a five-year presidency became the principal icon of both liberation and reconciliation, loved by those of all political persuasions as the founder of modern, democratic South Africa.
He was of course not always regarded as such. When he was born in 1918 in the rural village of Mvezo, he was named Rolihlahla, or “troublemaker.” (Nelson was the name given to him by a teacher when he started school.) After running away to Johannesburg to escape an arranged marriage, he lived up to his name. Introduced to politics by his mentor, Walter Sisulu, he joined a group of young militants who challenged the cautious elders of the African National Congress, founded by black leaders in 1912 to oppose the racist policies of the newly-formed union of white-ruled British colonies and Afrikaner republics.
After the Afrikaner Nationalists came to power in 1948, intent on entrenching and expanding the dispossession of blacks, confrontation became inevitable. As the new government relentlessly implemented one racist, repressive law after another, the ANC intensified its resistance until its ban in 1960, when it decided that, having exhausted all peaceful means of achieving democracy, it had no option but to resort to the use of force.
Madiba, the clan name by which South Africans refer to Nelson Mandela, went underground, then left the country to look for support for the struggle. He received it in many parts of Africa — undergoing military training in Ethiopia — but he failed to get meaningful support in the West.
Upon his return to South Africa, he was arrested by the police and first imprisoned for inciting strikes and leaving the country illegally. Two years later he was brought from prison to face charges, along with other leaders, of preparing for guerrilla warfare. At the end of the trial, they were all sentenced to life imprisonment.
In 1964, Madiba was sent to Robben Island prison off the coast of Cape Town as a militant guerilla leader, the commander-in-chief of the military wing of the ANC, Umkhonto weSizwe, committed to overthrowing apartheid by force. When he emerged from prison in 1990, his eyes damaged by the blindingly-bright limestone quarries in which prisoners had been forced to crush rock, and having contracted tuberculosis as a result of prison conditions, he might have been expected to come out hell-bent on revenge and retribution. White South Africans certainly feared so. On the other side of the political spectrum, some of his supporters feared that after campaigners had lionised his role in the struggle, he might turn out to have feet of clay and be unable to live up to his reputation.
None of this would turn out to be so. Suffering can embitter its victims, but equally it can ennoble the sufferer. In Madiba’s case, the 27 years in jail was not wasted. Firstly it gave him an authority and a credibility difficult to attain in other ways. No one could challenge his credentials. He had proved his commitment, his selflessness through what he had undergone. Secondly, the crucible of excruciating suffering which he had endured purged the dross, the anger, the temptation to any desire for revenge, honing his spirit and transforming him into an icon of magnanimity. He used his enormous moral stature to good effect in persuading his party and many in the black community, especially young people, that accommodation and compromise were the way to achieve our goal of democracy and justice for all.
Cliton mourns
FORMER United States President Bill Clinton said last night of the late Nelson Mandela:
“Nelson Mandela taught us so much about so many things. Perhaps the greatest lesson, especially for young people, is that, while bad things do happen to good people, we still have the freedom and responsibility to decide how to respond to injustice, cruelty and violence and how they will affect our spirits, hearts and minds.
Mandela’s enduring legacy is that, under a crushing burden of oppression he saw through differences, discrimination and destruction to embrace our common humanity.
Source:The Nation