I am inspired and motivated by people who overcome great obstacles on the road of life and have such a strong belief in themselves and their purpose that they persevere despite it all.
Such a man is Nelson Mandela. A man who spent 27 years in prison because of his unwavering devotion to his principles. A man who dedicated his life to fighting for the freedom of his people and all people of the world.
The years that Mandela spent in prison were under the most difficult conditions imaginable, yet he endured and emerged without bitterness or in any way wavering from the principals that governed his life.
Mandela was sentenced to life in prison. He was sentenced to spend this time in Robben Island, located off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. The closest thing to Robben Island in the United States would have been Alcatraz.
During the first 18 years that he spent in prison on Robben Island he was in a cell about 7×7, without a bed or any plumbing facilities what so ever. Yet he remained true to his beliefs. He spent a total of 27 years in prison before his release.
When he was released, many people had predicted physical violence would erupt from those that believed in his causes. Mr. Mandela never allowed himself to be consumed by the hatred that others expected. His purpose and cause were too important to him to allow that to happen.
I have visited Johannesburg, South Africa and while not able to meet with Mandela, I did talk to people who were at Sharpeville when the massacre of 69 people took place.
In 1960, the Afrikaner Government had imposed sanctions that required all blacks to carry papers with them at all times. These papers could be demanded by ANY white person at any time. In protest, 5,000 people staged a peaceful protest and turned themselves in to the authorities for not having their papers with them. These people were unarmed and peacefully protesting these restrictive conditions being imposed on them. Without warning, the police opened fire, killing 69 and wounding hundreds.
I have also stood at the very spot where Hecktor Petersen a 13 year old student was shot by police as students were protesting the imposition that they learn Afrikaans, the language of the white majority. Not only would these high school students be studying such challenging subjects as biology, chemistry and other technical subjects, they had to do it in a completely new language to them.
These students peacefully protested by holding hands, 5 abreast, and walking in the street near the school. Police opened fire and the first person killed was this 13 year old student. Millions have seen the picture of Petersen dying while being carried to help with his sister running alongside the mortally wounded young man.
I have seen bulldozer tracks in Johannesburg where the homes of blacks were pushed over, forcing them out of Johannesburg and into the SOuth WEst Township, that we know better as SOWETO.
These are just some of the incidents and indecencies that were forced on the majority population of South Africa. These events occurred while Mandela was imprisoned.
I, and I suspect 99% of the world’s population would have been embittered by the experiences, the isolation and the passage of such an extended period of time and developed a horrible hatred for mankind as a whole. It is the rare person indeed that can endure such physical, mental and emotional abuse and remain true to their purpose and remain conciliatory with those that have imprisoned and opposed you for a major part of your life. 27 years of his life were stolen from him and his causes.
He was elected to be president of the Country of South Africa to a 5 year term in the first free election held in the country, and despite the indignities that had been forced on him, he was a person committed to reconciliation and this became a legacy of his.
Apartheid is a cruel system and forced conditions akin to what we experienced in this country as slavery. The races were strictly divided and cruel and unfair treatment was dispensed to all except the white minority population. The races were divided, White, Asian, Colored and Black.
Despite the potential that existed for bloodshed, Mandela was instrumental in seeing that it did not happen. His commitment to his cause, his deep personal convictions and his impact on the world has distinguished him as truly a great leader of men. A truly great human being and a man worthy of my deepest respect! While there will never be another Nelson Mandela, we all can learn lessons in living from him that we should embrace as a core value. A value that will benefit all mankind. God Bless you Nelson Mandela! You have left the world a better place than you found it and for that I am truly grateful.