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:
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.
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."
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