Monday, December 2, 2013

Nelson Mandela

So, one of the greatest and most generous of spirit yet seemingly modest of men has finally gone to that Bourne from which no traveller returns and (with the exception perhaps of a minority whose lives have been turned upside down) it is not only South Africa that will mourn him but the whole world has lost something precious. It is a great pity there are not more like him. I refer of course to Nelson Mandela and it seems fitting that at 94 he had a number of years to enjoy after his long incarceration of eighteen years on Robin Island. I never knew him, I only knew of him, yet the news of his passing has brought me to tears. Is there any other world figure whose death would do that? Offhand I can think of no one. Mandela was not unique. There have been others like him throughout history, Ghandi for example, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, Joyce Banda, Jose Mujica, the very opposite of the Mugabes and Zumas of this world but oh, they are so few and so far between and the world needs men and women of their stature so very badly.
Nelson Mandela evidently died back in June but whatever the reason the South African government and the family for some reason have kept it a secret.
R.I.P. Madiba.


2 comments:

Lewis said...

Glyn, your sentiments do you credit; but Mandela was sent to Robben Island because he was found guilty of belonging to a prohibited organisation, viz. the Communist Party, and of murder. His speciality was organising the blowing up of crowded cafes (Wimpy Bars).
His death has been covered up because it suited the ANC. Zuma is preparing a coupe like Mugabe's.

Lewis said...

At the time of Mandela's imprisonment. Communism had already led to millions of deaths in Eastern Europe and East Asia.and was still killing thousands every day there. Pol Pot's massacres were still to come. An acquaintance of mine asked his gardener: "you wouldn't kill me, would you?" The answer: "No. Boss. The boy next door will be doing that." Moreover, the Boer Wars were still vivid memories for many older
Afrikaners (look up in Wikipedia).

Mandela used the words: "We Communists."