Durban — Nine years after his death, having lived for 95 years, the teachings and essence of former President Nelson Mandela still resonate with men and women across the globe today.
This was apparent at the weekend when Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley delivered the 20th Nelson Mandela annual lecture at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.
Drawing from the very first line of Madiba’s sequel to his autobiography, she said it was ironic that he would start with: “Men and women all over the world right down the centuries come and go” in his own assessment of what had happened to him.
“We need to pause sometimes and remember context always. The example of Madiba is one we should all hold on to. In so doing it is the values and moral examples and the moral compass he provides that give us both the strength and capacity to run the climate change race,” she said.
Mottley also recalled the unanimous report of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group visit in 1986 to the country where Mandela was visited on three occasions.
“It said: He impressed us as an outstandingly able and sincere person whose quality of leadership was evident. We found him unmarked by any trace of bitterness despite his long imprisonment. His overriding concern was for the welfare of all races in South Africa and a just society, and he longed to be allowed to contribute to the process of reconciliation.”
Mottley said this was not post-release or a day before his release, but deep in the bowels of his imprisonment.
“It is important that we contextualise the Struggle and values for those who refuse to be reminded or who fail or are not reminded for they may well believe this was as easy as a twinkle of an eye when it came to the remediation and reparation of an awful thing.”
Mottley added that it hurt that there were those who believed that Madiba did not do enough and a few who believed that he might have been a sell-out.
“They believe this because what they believe, and rightfully so, should be theirs today is not theirs.”
She explained that she had deliberately in the lecture gone back to 1950 and stopped in the 1980s and then again in the 1990s.
“If there is any one single truth, it is that each of us runs our leg of the race and the baton is all that is required of us to carry,” said Mottley in relation to the fight against global climate change.
KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said the lecture was being held at the right place and at the right time seven months after the devastating floods that struck the province.
“Many say KZN is a small province seeking to punch above its weight by wanting to lead fellow Africans to the medium-term goal of improving climate action on the continent.
“Today we say yes, yes we can because we learnt from Madiba and the prime minister that with leadership, South Africa can become the centre of human rights struggle internationally. We can indeed because the leadership of Mottley and the islands of Barbados have become an authoritative force for reason and persuasion in the face of climate change.”
Daily News
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