AFRICA DIARY
100
# LiveHisLegacy
MANDELA BIRTH CENTENARY
Nelson Mandela International Day, declared by the United Nations in 2009, has become an occasion to celebrate the South African leader’ s life and legacy and follow his example to make the world a better place. Celebrated each year on Mandela’ s birthday, July 18, this year’ s Mandela Day was indeed momentous because it marked 100 years since the birth of the international icon, who died in 2013 at the age of 95.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, fondly referred to as Madiba, became a legend in his lifetime. In a survey done some years ago in which photos of renowned people in the world had to be named, Nelson’ s photo was, by far, the most recognised as compared to any other leader or icon. Nelson Mandela was regarded as one of the world’ s greatest leaders despite having been imprisoned for 27 years on Robben Island on charges of treason before being freed. His prison number, 46664, is known throughout the world and serves as a symbol and a reminder of a great man who unified South Africa.
While delivering the Nelson Mandela Centenary Lecture on his 100th birth anniversary at the India International Centre, Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, former Indian envoy to South Africa, said,“ It took an " extraordinary man " like Nelson Mandela " who dedicated his life to the emancipation of his people from the jackboot of the oppressor " to bring South Africa to where it is today.”
One of the 20th century’ s most prominent freedom fighters, Nelson Mandela emerged from nearly three decades in prison to become South Africa’ s first Black president and help his country shift to a post-apartheid regime. While the Nobel Peace Prize winner gained eminence for defeating white minority rule in South Africa, Mandela also acted on a variety of other social causes. Among them: pushing for women’ s rights, delivering better opportunities for impecunious rural children and endorsing scientific research throughout Africa— on top of serving as a symbol for civil rights movements worldwide.
" What made apartheid truly evil and unique is that it took de facto discrimination on a racial basis and made it de jure ", Shiv Shankar Mukherjee said.
Bringing up the ' infamous ' 1963 Rivonia trial, which marked the beginning of Nelson Mandela’ s 27-year imprisonment, the envoy quoted Mandela’ s words:
“ Why is that in this courtroom I face a white magistrate, I’ m confronted by a white prosecutor, and escorted into the dock by a white orderly? Why is it that no African in the history of this country has ever had the honour of being tried by his own kith and kin, by his own blood and flesh,” the fierce leader had asked the magistrate.
48 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 7 • July 2018, Noida