It’s been ten years since South Africa’s beloved anti-apartheid activist and struggle icon died, and to date, no one can fill his shoes or hold their own in the shadow of his legacy.
When Mandela led South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress (ANC) was a force to be reckoned with. A party whose members were respected and whose values were entrenched in serving the greater good, abolishing a separatist government and pushing for equality for all citizens.
Today, that same ANC has been hollowed out by its own membership and is facing liquidation ahead of the country’s next general election in 2024.
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From apartheid to democracy
For a few years, while he reined, South Africans experienced a peaceful transition period with little bloodshed and even less transfer of wealth. But it was still early days, and that was just the beginning of South Africa’s transition from minority white Afrikaaner rule to democracy.
As a nation, we were high on Madiba magic and drunk on the power of the rainbow nation. The 1995 Rugby World Cup culminated that feeling, and we witnessed the birth of feverish rugby culture in South Africa.
This year’s Rugby World Cup win was the closest we could have felt to Madiba’s magic since he died on 5 December 2013.
Mandela’s stroke of genius to use sport as a unifying element for a deeply divided nation allowed us to put our racial and cultural differences aside and gave us temporary peace of mind that South Africa would thrive post-apartheid.
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Renegade: Truth to power
He was also a strong, fearless man who could stand up to leaders who abused their power and spit truths harsher than an Eminem verse.
Mandela was unrelenting in his support for Palestine and likened Israeli occupation to that of an apartheid government.
He famously said that “South Africa would not be free until Palestine was free” and encouraged South Africans to hold the ANC to account when the party deviated from its mandate.
Today, the ANC is facing its most significant dip in support and has become synonymous with kleptocracy and abject failure.
However, despite the decline in the ANC’s support, voters have yet to strip the party of its power.
While political pundits predict the ANC might lose its majority, South Africans who’ve remained in this abusive relationship with power all these years appear more likely to abstain from the upcoming polls than change their vote.
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