Madiba

Being in southern Africa is a unique experience in itself. Adding to that currently being  in Gabs 20km from the South African border,  for the passing of Nelson Mandela, and it’s witnessing history.

I want to refer to him as Madiba. I realize that most of the world knows him as Nelson Mandela, but Nelson was the English name he was given in school. My Setswana name in Botswana is Lesego (Leh-say-ho), but my real given name is Mary. So I want to refer to him as Madiba, his tribal name.

I don’t remember when in my life I learned who Madiba was. I certainly was not aware of historical events going on in South Africa during my childhood- his release from prison, rioting, the end of apartheid, his election, the Nobel Peace prize. To say that he is a national and international hero, especially here in southern Africa, is an understatement. He’s an important world figure in the US. In southern Africa, he’s one of the most important people ever to live.

I feel like I don’t know as much as I should about him. I went to Cape Town last summer with my mom and Carol, and we visited the Slave museum which had exhibits on Apartheid and the South African struggle for peace and shared power. We visited an exhibit at the town hall commemorating him for his 95^th birthday which he recently had. We attempted to visit Robbin Island, but the weather was bad so the ferry was canceled. I’m currently reading Long Walk to Freedom, and I saw the movie based on it a week ago, just after he passed.

What’s interested to me is that people seem to revere the Madiba of the last 20 years, and forget parts of his life from before he went to prison. He cheated on his first wife (and might have been abusive- the movie portrayed him that way). He spearheaded the arm of the African National Congress that moved away from strictly non-violence into trying to undermine the white government by setting fire to buildings and causing damage. He and the ANC were labeled a terrorist/terrorist organization for a long time. He was a radical.

From what I know, the work that he did in his life was invaluable to South Africa in their struggle for equality and a government of shared power.  And he is known for so much of the work that he did after spending 27 years in prison. But what really stands out to me, is that he came out of prison a different person than the one that went in. He changed. He grew. He forgave people of crimes against him, his family, his friends, his people, that I can only imagine. And he realized that forgiveness was the only way.

The amount of world leaders that descended on South Africa for his funeral is tribute to the man he was, and the man he became. Some people are worried that without Mandela that South Africa is going to have renewed racial violence. The tension is still there. I hope with all of my heart that is not the case, because that is the complete opposite of what Madiba wanted. Like I said, it’s an interesting time to be only kilometers from South Africa.

Watching the movie last week, I was also struck by the amount of change that has occurred in South Africa in my lifetime. I’m only 30 years old. That gives me hope that maybe by the time I am 50 or 60, some of the other countries in Africa that are such a mess now, will have radically changed by then. As I read the headline that Mandela passed away on Friday, (Thursday night, but it was late here so I heard about it Friday morning), there was a smaller headline warning that Central African Republic could be headed for a genocide and that UN troops might be moving in.  The work is never finished.

I’m also struck by how amazing it is to live in an African country that managed to avoid such a bloody struggle for independence and equality. There are plenty of things about Botswana that drive me crazy, I’m not saying we’re perfect here. But the contrast of what Botswana is and went through and what South Africa is and went through is stark. A lot of that is that the countries started with different resources, histories, and racial tensions. But I don’t take for granted the history of peace in this country.

The ironic thing about being where I am, in the Peace Corps in Botswana, is that I’m geographically close (relatively speaking) to what is going on in South Africa, but I live in the bush so I don’t have access to a lot of media coverage of it. I can get headlines and a few news stories, and when I’m in the capital for a day or to I can see some TV.

From what I’ve seen, the services for Madiba seem peaceful, reverent, and well attended. Yes, there is always going to be crazy things to detract from the real purpose, like the sign language scandal. But it’s neat to see the world mourn and remember such a great man, and coming together in the process to do so.

Peace is what you worked for your whole life Madiba. Rest now knowing you accomplished so much for so many, and left us a shining example of how to go forward with your work.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than it’s opposite. “ ~ Nelson Mandela