Author Topic: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95  (Read 7601 times)

icy

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Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« on: December 06, 2013, 12:09:06 AM »
One of the most magnificent human beings to have walked on this planet has left us.  We embrace his lessons of compassion and humility and he will always remain a hero.


JOHANNESBURG — Nelson Mandela, who became one of the world's most beloved statesmen and a colossus of the 20th century when he emerged from 27 years in prison to negotiate an end to white minority rule in South Africa, has died. He was 95.

South African President Jacob Zuma made the announcement at a news conference late Thursday, saying "we've lost our greatest son."

His death closed the final chapter in South Africa's struggle to cast off apartheid, leaving the world with indelible memories of a man of astonishing grace and good humor. Rock concerts celebrated his birthday. Hollywood stars glorified him on screen. And his regal bearing, graying hair and raspy voice made him instantly recognizable across the globe.

As South Africa's first black president, the ex-boxer, lawyer and prisoner No. 46664 paved the way to racial reconciliation with well-chosen gestures of forgiveness. He lunched with the prosecutor who sent him to jail, sang the apartheid-era Afrikaans anthem at his inauguration, and traveled hundreds of miles to have tea with the widow of Hendrik Verwoerd, the prime minister at the time he was imprisoned.

His most memorable gesture came when he strode onto the field before the 1995 Rugby World Cup final in Johannesburg. When he came on the field in South African colors to congratulate the victorious South African team, he brought the overwhelmingly white crowd of 63,000 to its feet, chanting "Nelson! Nelson! Nelson!"

For he had marched headlong into a bastion of white Afrikanerdom — the temple of South African rugby — and made its followers feel they belonged in the new South Africa.

At the same time, Mandela was himself uneasy with the idea of being an icon and he did not escape criticism as an individual and a politician, though much of it was muted by his status as a unassailable symbol of decency and principle. As president, he failed to craft a lasting formula for overcoming South Africa's biggest post-apartheid problems, including one of the world's widest gaps between rich and poor. In his writings, he pondered the heavy cost to his family of his decision to devote himself to the struggle against apartheid.

He had been convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 for leading a campaign of sabotage against the government, and sent to the notorious Robben Island prison. It was forbidden to quote him or publish his photo, yet he and other jailed members of his banned African National Congress were able to smuggle out messages of guidance to the anti-apartheid crusade.

As time passed — the "long, lonely, wasted years," as he termed them — international awareness of apartheid grew more acute. By the time Mandela turned 70 he was the world's most famous political prisoner. Such were his mental reserves, though, that he turned down conditional offers of freedom from his apartheid jailers and even found a way to benefit from confinement.

"People tend to measure themselves by external accomplishments, but jail allows a person to focus on internal ones; such as honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, generosity and an absence of variety," Mandela says in one of the many quotations displayed at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. "You learn to look into yourself."

Thousands died, were tortured and were imprisoned in the decades-long struggle against apartheid, so that when Mandela emerged from prison in 1990, smiling and waving to the crowds, the image became an international icon of freedom to rival the fall of the Berlin Wall.

South Africa's white rulers had portrayed Mandela as the spearhead of a communist revolution and insisted that black majority rule would usher in the chaos and bloodshed that had beset many other African countries as they shook off colonial rule.

Yet since apartheid ended, South Africa has held four parliamentary elections and elected three presidents, always peacefully, setting an example on a continent where democracy is still new and fragile. Its democracy has flaws, and the African National Congress has struggled to deliver on promises. It is a front runner ahead of 2014 elections, but corruption scandals and other missteps have undercut some of the promise of earlier years.

"We have confounded the prophets of doom and achieved a bloodless revolution. We have restored the dignity of every South African," Mandela said shortly before stepping down as president in 1999 at age 80.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born July 18, 1918, the son of a tribal chief in Transkei, one of the future "Bantustans," independent republics set up by the apartheid regime to cement the separation of whites and blacks.

Mandela's royal upbringing gave him a dignified bearing that became his hallmark. Many South Africans of all races would later call him by his clan name, Madiba, as a token of affection and respect.

Growing up at a time when virtually all of Africa was under European colonial rule, Mandela attended Methodist schools before being admitted to the black University of Fort Hare in 1938. He was expelled two years later for his role in a student strike.

He moved to Johannesburg and worked as a policeman at a gold mine, boxed as an amateur heavyweight and studied law.

His first wife, nurse Evelyn Mase, bore him four children. A daughter died in infancy, a son was killed in a car crash in 1970 and another son died of AIDS in 2005. The couple divorced in 1957 and Evelyn died in 2004.

Mandela began his rise through the anti-apartheid movement in 1944, when he helped form the ANC Youth League.

He organized a campaign in 1952 to encourage defiance of laws that segregated schools, marriage, housing and job opportunities. The government retaliated by barring him from attending gatherings and leaving Johannesburg, the first of many "banning" orders he was to endure.

After a two-day nationwide strike was crushed by police, he and a small group of ANC colleagues decided on military action and Mandela pushed to form the movement's guerrilla wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, or Spear of the Nation.

He was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to five years' hard labor for leaving the country illegally and inciting blacks to strike.

A year later, police uncovered the ANC's underground headquarters on a farm near Johannesburg and seized documents outlining plans for a guerrilla campaign. At a time when African colonies were one by one becoming independent states, Mandela and seven co-defendants were sentenced to life in prison.

"I do not deny that I planned sabotage," he told the court. "I did not plan it in a spirit of recklessness, nor because I have any love of violence. I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after years of tyranny, exploitation and oppression of my people by whites."

The ANC's armed wing was later involved in a series of high-profile bombings that killed civilians, and many in the white minority viewed the imprisoned Mandela as a terrorist. Up until 2008, when President George W. Bush rescinded the order, he could not visit the U.S. without a waiver from the secretary of state certifying he was not a terrorist.

From the late 1960s South Africa gradually became an international pariah, expelled from the U.N., banned from the Olympics. In 1973 Mandela refused a government offer of release on condition he agree to confine himself to his native Transkei. In 1982 he and other top ANC inmates were moved off Robben Island to a mainland prison. Three years later Mandela was again offered freedom, and again he refused unless segregation laws were scrapped and the government negotiated with the ANC.

In 1989, F.W. de Klerk became president. This Afrikaner recognized the end was near for white-ruled South Africa. Mandela, for his part, continued, even in his last weeks in prison, to advocate nationalizing banks, mines and monopoly industries — a stance that frightened the white business community.

But talks were already underway, with Mandela being spirited out of prison to meet a white Cabinet minister.

On Feb. 11, 1990, inmate No. 46664, who had once been refused permission to leave prison for his mother's funeral, went free and walked hand-in-hand with Winnie, his wife. Blacks across the country erupted in joy — as did many whites.

Mandela took charge of the ANC, shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with de Klerk and was elected president by a landslide in South Africa's first all-race election the following year.

At his inauguration, he stood hand on heart, saluted by white generals as he sang along to two anthems: the apartheid-era Afrikaans "Die Stem," ("The Voice") and the African "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" ("Lord Bless Africa").

To black South Africans expecting a speedy new deal, Mandela pleaded for patience. The millions denied proper housing, schools and health care under apartheid had expected the revolution to deliver quick fixes, but Mandela recognized he had to embrace free market policies to keep white-dominated big business on his side and attract foreign investment.

For all his saintly image, Mandela had an autocratic streak. When black journalists mildly criticized his government, he painted them as stooges of the whites who owned the media. Whites with complaints were dismissed as pining for their old privileges.

He denounced Bush as a warmonger and the U.S. having "committed unspeakable atrocities in the world." When asked about his closeness to Fidel Castro and Moammar Gadhafi despite human rights violations in the countries they ruled, Mandela explained that he wouldn't forsake supporters of the anti-apartheid struggle.

With his fellow Nobelist, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, he set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which allowed human rights offenders of all races to admit their crimes publicly in return for lenient treatment. It proved to be a kind of national therapy that would become a model for other countries emerging from prolonged strife.

He increasingly left the governing to Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, who took over when Mandela's term ended in June 1999 and he declined to seek another — a rarity among African presidents.

"I must step down while there are one or two people who admire me," Mandela joked at the time. When he retired, he said he was going to stand on a street with a sign that said: "Unemployed, no job. New wife and large family to support."

His marriage to Winnie had fallen apart after his release and he was now married to Graca Machel, the widowed former first lady of neighboring Mozambique.

He is survived by Machel; his daughter Makaziwe by his first marriage, and daughters Zindzi and Zenani by his second.

Donna Bryson, former AP bureau chief in Johannesburg, contributed to this report.

diablo1974

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2013, 11:10:38 AM »
I heard of him when i am very young. He is one of the most influential leader and a compassionate hero in the history of mankind. He was imprisoned for life but survived and held a optimistic view in life and continue to stood up for his people. He will always be in rememberance and respected eventhough he is no longer around on this planet

Midakpa

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2013, 10:37:38 AM »
The world is mourning Nelson Mandala's death and celebrating his life. Mandela's life and fight for freedom against apartheid has made him a role model and a hero. Today, world leaders are paying tribute to this great man who has left a great legacy to mankind. President Clinton remembers that Mandela advised him to let go of anger. Aung Sang Shu Khi says that in the fight for human rights and equality, Mandela had demonstrated  that right does win through in the end but one has to go through great difficulties. She describes Mandela's success to his "commitment to a cause in which he genuinely believed".

To me, Nelson Mandela's attitude to life was similar to that of a Buddhist. People say that he is a saint. Instead of seeking revenge against his enemies, he chose to forgive them and did not harm them. Instead, he used skillful means like sports to heal his divided nation. He had let go of anger (one of the three poisons) and practised love and forgiveness. Mandela may not be Buddhist but to me he was a Bodhisattva.

cookie

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2013, 01:57:25 PM »
"People tend to measure themselves by external accomplishments, but jail allows a person to focus on internal ones; such as honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, generosity and an absence of variety," Mandela says in one of the many quotations displayed at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. "You learn to look into yourself."
This is my favourite statement. Mandela spent more then 20 of his best years in prison, being set free only at the age of 70. Yet, he had no anger or resentment in him , but instead reflected on how those years have helped him improve his internal values and virtues. He spent time in prison to connect with himself . His values grew and so did his urge and determination to free his people from gross discrimination. He sacrificed himself, his family, his wealth and reputation in order to do the right thing to help others. A true Boddhisattva ! He is sure to have a great rebirth in his next life ! Looking forward to his new reincarnation. The world needs many more of such people to teach and inspire others !

kris

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2013, 05:33:21 PM »
I agree with Midakpa that Mandela may not be Buddhist (anyway, name of religion is just a "label"), but he is a Bodhisattva to me. People like Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi inspire me a lot, and they keep reminding me that it is possible to practice kindness, and sacrifice to benefit others.

Nelson Mandela is now joining Mother Teresa in heaven, because they have benefit so many people, by putting others more important than themselves. I do pray people like them reincarnate back on to this earth and continue to benefit many.

On remembering this great man, I went online to search his younger photos.. Did you realise that Nelson Mandela is quite fierce looking before his prison time. Do you agree?

icy

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2013, 04:50:08 AM »
Quote
On remembering this great man, I went online to search his younger photos.. Did you realise that Nelson Mandela is quite fierce looking before his prison time. Do you agree?

Yes, I agree Kris.  His facial expression after his prison time was mellow and at peace, a face with love and compassion.  I attribute this to his self introspection, and contemplation during his prison time which made him the person who he was when he walked out of prison. 

icy

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2013, 04:52:41 AM »
The passing of Nelson Mandela leaves a waning number of global figures representing freedom and resilience against oppression — and a changing world that makes it harder for anyone to approach Mandela's iconic power.

There are a few whose trials have made them symbols of freedom, including the former political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, the Dalai Lama and, more recently, Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl turned women's rights activist .

But Mandela, the black revolutionary who emerged from 27 years in prison to embrace his white oppressors and lead a new South Africa, may be one of the last of a breed for all sorts of reasons — including the circumstances of his heroism, his extraordinary success and the onset of an age when heroes' foibles are often exposed.


RedLantern

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2013, 02:53:00 PM »
Nelson Mandela apparently was a good man for his country.He showed the world how to make a mess of a great nation.It is a great tragedy that he died .He should have been given the chance to see the legacy he has created.He is truly a great person of royal African blood.
Rest in peace,one of the most prominent voice of freedom,equality and anti -oppression in the past century.

Tenzin Malgyur

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2013, 03:42:43 PM »
With the passing of Nelson Mandela, this world have lost a courageous, selfless hero. Even though he is no longer here in this world, he would be remembered for all his struggles and fight for freedom against apartheid. May his great qualities and legacy continue to live on and inspire many other younger generation.

OMB

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2013, 01:15:36 AM »
Nelson Mandela was one of the most loved and respected people in the world.  He was a huge hero and a person from whom we can all learn many lessons. May his legacy live on to inspire generations to come.

eyesoftara

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2013, 08:59:49 AM »
Many view Nelson "Madiba" Mandela as a compassionate and humble statesman, human and savior. I personally thought what really stand out is his great integrity and wisdom. He was honest when he admitted that he need commit the acts of sabotage and even was called a terrorist. Through his stay in jail, he many his mind and after his release from prison he has shown that he is one of the wisest person in history. His philosophy is of the highest order and he "preach" this wisdom more through his action rather than just talking.

I will him a good rebirth continue his journey to benefit others like he has done this lifetime.

With folded hands!

Kim Hyun Jae

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2013, 03:36:04 PM »
I like what Nelson Mandela said here "People tend to measure themselves by external accomplishments, but jail allows a person to focus on internal ones; such as honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, generosity and an absence of variety," Mandela says in one of the many quotations displayed at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. "You learn to look into yourself."

Nelson Mandela was in prison for 27 years. When he was released and elected President, he took the effort and time to make "amendments" to FORGIVE those who placed him behind bars in the prison on the island. Instead of continuous fighting externally for peace for South Africa - he took 27 years to reflect upon "himself" and the goodness of human qualities which he named honesty, sincerity, humility, generosity ....

He found Peace in these human qualities which is in each of us, including himself. He seek to conquer peace with these qualities of what the Buddha had already taught us and reminded us. He is probably a Bodhisattva amongst us and we have lost another great SON of the world.


 

bambi

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #12 on: December 12, 2013, 02:51:58 PM »
This is the first time I actually read about Nelson Mandela. I have only heard that he was a great man and has done much for his country. He did it not for himself but for the people he believed deserves much more. 1 of the sign of a Boddhisattva. For years, he fell, he learned, he fell again yet he did not give up and he persevered. Amazing! How many people who stand up for others and at the same time suffer the consequences? Not many, yet Nelson Mandela has showed us that we can if we choose to and we believe in it. RIP Nelson Mandela, with folded hands.

maricisun

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Re: Nelson Mandela, 20th Century Colossus, Dies at 95
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2014, 03:32:57 PM »
Nelson Mandela was probable one of the most loved, courageous and selfless hero the world has seen.
He will be greatly missed and remembered by many for the many legacy he has left behind.
May he be an inspiration to others.