On February 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from the Victor-Verster Prison after 27 years in jail most of which was spent on Robben Island – the Al Catraz of South Africa. Thursday February 11, marks the 20th anniversary of his historic walk to freedom. 

 

Mr. Mandela is quite simply, the most extraordinary leader that the world has ever seen. He’s man of exceptional character, discerning leadership, steely nerves, a brave hero and an astute politician. 

 

At the height of the apartheid struggle in the 1960s and 1970s, he endorsed the guerrilla tactics of Umkhonto we Sizwe – the armed wing of the ANC. He was branded a terrorist by many right wing media including the London Daily Telegraph. I strongly disagree that Mandela was a terrorist. 

 

St. Augustine once said, that “an unjust law is no law at all” - which means we have a right, even a duty to fight against it. At the time Mandela had no choice but to fight for justice and achieve his objectives by any means necessary. Upon his release from prison, he re-iterated that there was no alternative to the armed struggle, until the white regime was ready to discuss the end of apartheid. 

 

He visited Fidel Castro, Muammar al Gaddafi, and other controversial leaders that supported his struggle against apartheid. Clearly, Mandela never believed in their extreme views, but they were his partners in the struggle and so he paid his respects.

 

 As we will see during his presidency, he embraced his former white oppressors in the same way. Was he a hypocrite? Absolutely not! He was a wise and astute leader – building bridges where necessary to achieve his goals.

 

 During the negotiations with the white minority regime to end apartheid and introduce multi-racial democracy, Mandela proved to be a witty, tough, unrelenting, yet pragmatic and realistic leader. When an ultra-right Polish immigrant assassinated Chris Hani – leader of the South Africa Communist Party on April 10 1993, Mandela addressed the nation as an ordinary citizen in a most presidential way. 

 

After Hani’s assassination, many extremists (both black and white) were calling for full scale civil war. Mandela appealed to the nation, emphasizing the fact that the person that reported Hani’s murder was a white neighbor of his; using that to urge South Africans to support the peace process.

 

As the first democratically elected president, Mandela was quick to realize that the Afrikaners and the other whites were as invested in South Africa as the blacks – it was the land of their birth. He saw them as partners in building the new South Africa. Many in the ANC disagreed with him, but as a brave leader he stayed the course and this further isolated him from the power brokers of the ANC.

 

 For someone who chanted anti-white songs during the apartheid era, it seemed awkward for him to see the whites as partners. But he was such a discerning leader. He surprised the whites by embracing them. He put his full weight behind the Springboks in the 1995 Rugby world cup. His inspirational leadership caused the Springboks to defeat the almighty New Zealand All Black in the final.

 

While at Robben Island, he became friends with his former warden, Christo Brand, saying that his friendship with Brand cemented his views of humanity. To this day, they are still friends and last week, Brand was at a dinner at Mandela’s house to celebrate 20 years of his freedom. What a remarkable individual, Mandela is!

 

When Hilda Ndude is asked to recall the mood 20 years ago on the day she walked Nelson Mandela to freedom, she utters one word: "Wow". Ndude was head of protocol responsible for ensuring that Mandela's first public appearance in 27 years was smooth.

Mandela, also known lovingly as "Madiba" - meaning father of our nation, received more than 250 awards over four decades, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

 

 In November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly announced that Mandela's birthday, July 18 will be known as "Mandela Day" for his contribution to world freedom. A remarkably wise man who 'owns the rights' to the number that represents world freedom - 46664 - his prison number.

 

The end of apartheid marked a new beginning for South Africa. Mandela himself nicknamed this beautiful country the rainbow nation, symbolizing a nation of different colors coming together in perfect harmony. 

 

Sadly, the optimism of 20 years ago has dimmed since Mandela retired. Many feel that the ANC going off on a tangent in the manner it has done is responsible for all the optimism that has been lost. Our greatest fear for a post-apartheid South Africa - blacks seeking retribution for apartheid era crimes is sadly becoming a grim reality in many parts of the country.

 

 President Zuma is an even greater divisive force. He noted during the 2008 election campaign that “of all the white groups in South Africa, only the Afrikaners are truly African.” How does this help a country that is still struggling to heal the wounds of apartheid? Zuma’s perverted polygamy and irresponsibility is doing nothing to stem the scourge of South Africa’s 5 million AIDS victims – the highest in the world. 

 

Regardless of the dangerous path that Zuma is leading South Africa today, Mandela’s remarkable achievements are worth celebrating. Mandela wanted one nation where blacks and whites saw each other as South Africans. His Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was cut short in its lifespan, opened many apartheid era wounds that were never given time to heal – but he was courageous to open up the wounds, a necessary step to lasting healing.

 

Mandela’s huge presence brings comfort and healing to many South Africans; and indeed people all over the world.

Long live Madiba Mandela - a parent, a father to a nation, and a statesman.