Long Live Nelson Mandela

In 2005 Mandela joined other international celebrity Aids activists - including Desmond Tutu, Will Smith, Elizabeth Taylor, Elton John, Sharon Stone, Tom Hanks and Whoopi Goldberg - for a unique photograph to promote the We All Have Aids campaign initiated by designer Kenneth Cole.

 Dear Friends,
     Let me first introduce myself. My name is Peter Thandiwe. My second name means Loved One in our

Nelson Mandela during the 46664 Concert In Celebration Of Nelson Mandela's Life held at Hyde Park on June 27, 2008 in London, England.
Viva Mandela!

native Xhosa language of South Africa. I'm a youth leader in the Youth League of the ANC. I'm not famous and I don't intend to. This is because I come from the Transkei area of South Africa, the same area that gave the world Nelson Mandela. He helped start our League in 1944, so you can imagine the agony of walking the same steps that he did almost seven decades ago in my tiny shoes. Although I'm very good in languages (I trained in journalism at the University of Cape Town!), I'm not tech-savvy and I went through lots of trouble as I tried to put this blog together. So let us start off.
     Nelson Mandela will be turning 95 in July 18. An year ago, we promised to mobilize a gigantic social media campaign for a celebration of his life across the world. But we started so late. Anyway, we did start. When Madiba (yes, we call him Madiba down here) visited us in 2009 he told us nothing is ever late. Didn't he wait for independence for close to 30 years in jail when he had an option of leaving (conditionally, though)?
     When Madiba last addressed our Youth League in the Transkei, we asked him one question: How did you do it? He gave us a small book called Thought Power and told us everyone alive today should read that small book. After reading it about a thousand times since (oh yes, a thousand!) I agree with him. Through his intervention, we were able to secure free copies of the book for free distribution. I can send a free e-copy to anyone upon request. In addition, we also asked if we could share a PDF format of his best-selling autobiography Long Walk To Freedom with League members, and we can share with you too. I know you readers are not League members but I will give you complimentary membership for this campaign. No cards, though!
     So let me tell you briefly something about Madiba. Today Nelson Mandela is acclaimed as one of the greatest personalities of our times. He belongs to that category of men who have graced our civilization with their personal charisma and noble contributions.
     His life-long fight for the cause of freedom in South Africa and its eventual success will be written in golden letters in the annals of history. His entire life epitomises man’s unquenchable thirst for freedom.
    

The launch 46664 (Mandela's former prison number) concert, held in Cape Town in 2003, was watched by capacity crowd of over 40,000 and broadcast to over 2 billion viewers across the world

Nelson Mandela was born in the year 1918 in rural Umata Transkei, South Africa. His father was the chief adviser of Tembu ruler. After the death of his father in 1930, Nelson Mandela was sent to live with the chief of Tembu Nation. However, in his late teens, Nelson Mandela renounced his hereditary rights to the chiefdom and took up college studies.
     During the period of college studies he came into contact with modern principles of freedom, liberty, democracy, equality, political rights, etc. He was deeply distressed to see the sufferings of his fellow Africans, who were no better than slaves under the British, who had occupied our country since 1652.
     Their cruel oppression of our people broke his heart and Nelson Mandela, infused with the ideals of liberty and democracy, took up the cause of national freedom as a student and joined the African National Congress (ANC), a small organisation which had been set up on similar lines as the Indian National Congress in India.
     Within a few years Nelson Mandela became its foremost leader and spokesman. ANC challenged the racist political system of apartheid, in which black Africans were legally discriminated against, in all walks of life. ANC under Nelson Mandela’s leadership organised labour strikes and nationwide protests and demonstrations against apartheid during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
     Their efforts were met with cruel resistance, torture and shedding of much African blood. Nelson

On display at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg is this famous photo of Mandela congratulating Springbok captain Francois Pienaar after the SA team beat New Zealand to clinch the 1996 Rugby World Cup, hosted in South Africa. Both men are wearing the number six captain's jersey.

Mandela and other key leaders of ANC were arrested and charged with treason. In 1964 onwards Nelson Mandela was imprisoned in the famous Robben Island, where he spent 27 years.
     During the 27 years that he was in jail he became the source of inspiration and example. Thousands and thousands of Africans joined the nationalist movement for freedom, forcing the white rulers to give up apartheid and release their beloved leader. They had offered Mandela freedom many times, which he routinely turned down unless his people were first freed. He was freed in 1990. In the first free election that followed in 1994 ANC under Nelson Mandela won the election and he was chosen to lead the country as its First Black African President.
     Nelson Mandela’s greatest achievement was not so much in becoming South Africa’s first black president as putting an end to the evil of apartheid which divided blacks and whites of South Africa. He ushered in the history of South Africa an era of social harmony, national unity, democratic governance, and building the national fabric from the scars of former regime.
     His simple principles of political agitation almost on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi, healing the wounds of hate, bringing about national unification, becoming the symbol of the oppressed people all over the world etc. are some of his noble legacies to the world.
     Today, Nelson Mandela, popularly known as Madiba here in South Africa, is a household name all over the world. Though retired from active politics, his ‘voice’ continues to echo in our world wherever and whenever freedoms of people are threatened and chained.
     His life has almost mirrored the journey of an entire people; a remarkable journey of hardship, struggle and now liberation. I hope his story will inspire you personally too, and that his triumph shall encourage you in this earthly journey of love and self discovery. A struggle for one is a struggle for all!
     I want to urge you to help in our campaigns in donating from a free heart. Join us in our campaign, dear friend. The struggle continues. We are using 120 dollars per day in our social media and media campaigns. So please donate (even half a dollar goes a distance!). Stay tuned to our Long Live Nelson Mandela campaigns in Twitter, Facebook (international), and for the local brethren, in radio and TVs.
     Be encouraged,

Peter Thandiwe
For the Youth League, Transkei