Mandela:
The Man Behind the Movement
By Hon. David Kilgour, Secretary of State
(Latin America & Africa)
October 1998
Long celebrated
as humankind’s best living exemplar
of resistance to tyranny, Nelson Mandela
continues to inspire people of all ages
around the world.
In Prime
Minister Chrétien’s words, during
his three-day visit to Canada, he is also
a "symbol of the two historic movements
that have defined the twentieth century:
equality and democracy." Yet somehow
the person behind the symbol remains elusive
for many outside South Africa.
Anthony Lewis,
the New York Times columnist, agrees: "Yet
in profound respects Mandela remains a mystery.
What exactly is the magic of his leadership,
the means by which he persuades diverse
people in what was a riven country to join
with him? What enabled him to survive 27
years in prison without disabling bitterness?
What makes him Mandela?"
One attempt
to counter this was a 1988 biography, Higher
than Hope, written by Fatima Meer, a longtime
friend. Meer presented in it a very real
human being, who sacrificed family life
and a promising career as a lawyer for a
cause. The then prisoner’s voice emerges
in the book through the many letters he
wrote to family members and friends as he
missed so many important milestones in their
lives.
The Great
Reconciler
Americans are fond of comparing Mandela
with their first president, George Washington,
for his disciplined leadership style. Both
suppressed their strong emotions in the
interest of nation building at crucial points
in their respective peoples’ history.
During President
Mandela’s visit to Ottawa, the most
revealing anecdote I heard came from an
official in his 30s who was travelling with
one of his ministers.
About six
years ago, the official was attending the
graduation ceremony of his brother at a
university in a northern part of South Africa.
Mandela, no longer a prisoner but not yet
the elected president, was the guest speaker.
As the academic procession entered the stadium,
Mandela walked beside the Chancellor until
the pair reached a gate where only one could
pass through at a time. During what seemed
a long while to the thousands in the audience,
each refused to go ahead. Finally, the Chancellor
threw up his hands and went through first.
On the stage,
the Chancellor addressed the crowd
somberly,
explaining that many years ago he had squared
off with their guest speaker as lawyers
in the courts. "He defended the people;
I defended the laws." He added that
later on he was one of the judges who convicted
and sentenced him to a lifetime in prison.
At that point, Mandela stood up and interrupted
at the podium saying, "How can I ask
all of you to reconcile with one another
if I’m not prepared to do the same
thing? I forgive you". He then hugged
the other. The teller of the story, who
was at the time a very angry young man,
added that the incident was a life-changing
event for him.
Order of
Canada
Nelson Mandela is the first foreign leader
appointed to the Order of Canada, our highest
national honour. When addressing our joint
Houses of Parliament, he thanked Canadians
generally for "helping us end our oppression;
for assisting us through partnership in
the building of a better life for all South
Africans. We will forever be indebted to
you".
The world,
of course, is far more indebted to him for
demonstrating that idealism, determination,
dignity and love can sometimes triumph over
virtually any adversity.
Mandela’s
retirement dream is to "sit in Qunu
and grow as ancient as its hills."
The task for the rest of us is to seek to
fulfill his goal of a world where freedom
is a right and where there is no hunger
and no refugees.
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