As overeager reporters and anxious, well meaning supporters of Nelson Mandela swamp the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in South Africa, Wonkie would like to take a moment to wish Madiba a heartfelt goodbye.
Firstly, for those in a frenzy about Mandela’s death or those panicking about the post-Mandela South Africa, this article is being written while he is still in hospital, in critical condition. To Wonkie, though, that does not matter. In fact, it’s a little sad to see so many people simply waiting in anticipation of the great man’s death. Unlike those hanging around for the heartbreaking Nelson Mandela dies headline, Wonkie would prefer to acknowledge and thank Madiba now and bid him well.
A few weeks back, Wonkie listened to a few of Mandela’s many struggle speeches. It is no wonder that he is one of the most revered statesmen in the world – a true icon, if ever there were one. Below is a brief timeline, nicked from a BBC article, that outlines some of Madiba’s key dates:
1918 – Nelson Mandela is born in the Eastern Cape
1943 – Mandela joins the ANC, the African National Congress
1956 – He is charged with high treason, but charges dropped
1962 – He is arrested, convicted of sabotage, sentenced to five years
1964 – Mandela is charged again, and is sentenced to life in prison
1990 – Mandela is freed from prison
1993 – He wins a well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize
1994 – Elected first black president of South Africa
1999 – Mandela steps down as leader
2001 – Madiba is diagnosed with prostate cancer
2004 – He retires from public life
2007 – Mandela forms The Elders group
2010 – He appears at closing ceremony of FIFA World Cup
A number of thoughts wandered through Wonkie’s mind over the last week about Nelson Mandela’s more recent situation. The basest of these include opportunistic reporters hounding him at home and hospital – for what? The last photo of him alive?
Included at that level of thought are those involving some of his immediate family members who appear to be more interested in capitalising on Mandela’s death than in enjoying his well-being. Royalty squabbles and selling broadcast rights to his funeral are few of the things that grate in Wonkie’s mind.
Despite this, one can only hope that Madiba’s legacy will remain his incredible capacity for forgiveness. While there will undoubtedly be debate about his lacking vision post-struggle, his ability to forgive is unquestionable. For Wonkie, that, his charisma, and pitbull determination will always be what defines Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela, Madiba, come what may in the days ahead – Thank you and goodbye. Wonkie’s prayers are for you.
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If you find this situation with Nelson Mandela too sad for words, why not skip playing lottery online or gambling online here, or at some online casino in South Africa this week. Instead, why not go out and do some random act of kindness and share it with the world.
Other articles on Nelson Mandela:
- What will happen when Nelson Mandela dies
- Nelson Mandela legacy
- Mandela Day – Does Madiba deserve it?
- Malema – the next Mandela?
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Listening to the news these days makes me so sad… one can only hope that Madiba’s last days are pain-free. I hope that his family makes the right decision, especially if he is suffering – we must set the man free, as he has set us free.
Like your line Rochelle – “we must set the man free, as he has set us free”
It’s upsetting to see the reporters there like scavengers while he’s still alive. Think Wonkie is doing the right thing by saying goodbye, at least in spirit for now.
Agreed Frank
Thank you Rochelle, you are so right.
Past midnight here in the UK and it’s all over the news here too – about journalists braving the cold to get news on Mandela. I wish they would all let the man be and let his final hours have some dignity… but, I guess bad news sells 🙁
He has been ill for so long, it is time to let him go!
Thank u Tata for what you did for SA & the world.May ur soul rest in peace & we will forever be indebted to you.I will do my best to protect the freedom that you fought for.I promise you that i will try my best to make everyday a Mandela day by improving the lives of the needy and children because this are the people you hold dearly to your heart.
Our thoughts are alsways with you Tata. Pls get well.
I think this Mandela hype is being overdone. What did he exactly do for South Africans, especially the blacks. The Advantaged will sing praises because he did not rock the boat, nothing has changed, they are still in charge and not sharing with the black. The blacks can celebrate with their bucket toilets , poor service delivery, high unemployment, poor education, the list is endless. Mandela was the only person who could have changed the plight of the disadvantages but no, the Western world decided to sing praises for him and that paralyzed him. Well at 94 he has done good innings, nearly a century! I am sure South Africans will be in morning for the rest of their lives. If Vuyo Mbuli’s passing is anything to go by, I am sure they will be mourning Mandela for the next 10 years!
Lulu, he rocked the boat when it needed rocking, he kept it steady when that was needed. Without him we would have had the biggest bloodbath Africa has ever seen. He deserves a lot of respect.
The whole of South Africa will miss his humble demeanour!
There will be no holding the rabble now.
Nuff said
NELSON MANDELA WILL ALWAYS BE ALIVE IN MY HEART. THIS DEDICATED MAN WITH SO MUCH HUMANITY AND INNER PEACE WILL BE WITH ME FOREVER
You are the best leader in the world. We are going to miss you TATA
What Madima means to me.
When he came to power our currency started it’s slide.
He started affirmative action which is reverse apartheid causing widespread racial discrimination and the flight of thousands of highly skilled, experienced to other countries who received them with open arms. We are now suffering because of this.
He changed the criminal laws in favour of criminals which resulted in a crime wave that has cost countless innoce3nt lives and cost billions in security by innocent citizens trying to protect themselves.
He initiated the slide in education, police, military, hospitals, power supply, etc.
He allowed unions into agriculture and set minimum wages causing millions of job losses and increased food production costs.
Having achieved all this and still maintaining his status as a hero takes some doing. This is a sign of greatness.
Yes Bill – and still the blacks – the overwhelming majority of the country – are much better off now than they were when your kind were in power. You should take your own comment as a lesson about what a rotten lot the previous regime was.
Ramatula, as far as I am concerned (and I am), Bill is an absolute pain, he cannot blame Madiba for what this existing H.O State has done or not done, Madiba had a dream and this dream MUST carry on and that is to unite, forgive and forget as far as possible the wrongs and rights. No Bill, you are still living in the past so pull yourself towards yourself and accept what Madiba tried so hard to do for us ALL (even for you).
Yes, he actually put our country into it is the mess presently. He also told the masses “It is your right to strike” where are we now because of this? Just about every month we have strikes for unrealistic increases in wages, it just cannot go on like this. Our economy has reached rock bottom although JZ states that our economy is the best it has ever been. I don’t believe his continuous bull shit.
Goodbye Nelson Roilihlahla Madiba Mandela , Goodbye
I am most concerned that when he goes, the last remaining link that the ANC has to its own moral compass, goes with him. The compass is still there, somewhere, but the leadership hasn’t a clue of what it looks like or how to use it. SA, you must never again let any political party get as close to Zanupfication as this government has become, and never must any government be so dominant as to allow it to change the constitution unilaterally.
I think the old man passed away on Sunday The ANC are playing some game. Let the South Africans and the world let him go, his time on earth well spent. May his soul rest in peace
It’s unlikely but possible that Madiba is staring out of his hospital window waiting for one of the journalists to die.
My regret is that he will not be around for next years elections where he could tell the nation that he would not be voting for the ANC who have betrayed the ideals of the old ANC which he loved.
Lulu is wrong. He brought back a sense of respect for South Africa. It is the ANC that has done nothing for blacks other than those that are politically connected. No.1 and his henchmen continue to make our country the laughing stock of the world and so trash Mandela’s legacy.
Your race has been run and won
Hi Wonkie
What about the great man’s appearance at the world cup ruby final in 1995 when South Africa became world champions or is that not an important appearance in Madiba’s life?
Greetings
John
Without doubt – the GREATEST statesman the world has ever had. Each and every person on this sorry world of ours can only but hope to have an ounce of his compassion and forgiveness.
Whatever happens Madiba, know that the worlds heartfelt wishes and prayers are forever with you.
Lake Civero. Norton
It would appear that your knowledge of history is rather limited……….
Hi Petra, you talk about his “forgiveness”. What on earth did he had to forgive?? He was not on his way to a Sunday School picnic when he was arrested! He was not “innocently” sent to jail. He was a terrorist and had enough explosives with him to blow up a small army when he was arrested. He was in jail because he was caught in a criminal act. I am so sick of people telling the ignorant world that “Madiba is such a wonderful man. He forgave so much”. Please, watch this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcOXqFQw2hc And this was after he came out of prison and have “forgiven so much”. Some forgiveness, hey?
OutofAfrica
No……………….my knowledge of history is quite fine – thanks (I think). You need to look back to what this great man could have done when he came out of prison. Whether justified or not!
May Madiba go painlessly and peacefully to his well deserved rest. His caring and loving spirit has made the world a better place and highlighted the greed of the ANC and, very sadly, certain members of his own close family. What an opportunity they have squandered to perpetuate the spirit of such a saint and how they insult his great legacy of love, peace and sharing the good things in life with all our people. Phumla ne xolo Tata Madiba, we will always love you!
Let the will of GOD be Done. Nelson Mandela has made his Contributon. GOD Bless Africa!!!
Madiba, a great man, decent, forgiving, sincere, loyal to his fellow citizens and his country. I will never ever forget whjat he has done for us, his fellow citizens, has placed us in the eyes of the entire world asa country, and not as we were before being left out of everything international. Due to him we were placed back on the respectability map. My wish is for his legacy and outlook on life to continue with whoever takes over the reigns of head of state, and earns this states respect as this is sorely needed at this stage.
Go with God old man.
Dear Tata Mandela,
Thank you so much for what you did for South Africa and South Africans. I hope that peace will remain even after you are gone. You will always be remembererd as a South African icon (maybe a worlds icon)
I never meet with you in person, but you are very special for who you are.
Stay blessed….
Zanele Mviti
my prayers are with you.pleeeaaase get well-father.
go well
Just think what could have happened to RSA without Madiba. His immense stature just highlights the contrast between him and the creepy-crawlies ruling this country now. May he live much longer to compensate him for so many years taken from him
Tata Nelson Mandela has played his part and he did enough for all of us,I honestly pray that the Almight take his soul,he is suffering,please LORD let tata rest in peace,he will be in our hearts forever.
The man is not dead, yet. What is wrong with people. We are wishing him dead. I wish Mr Mandela everything of the best, including getting well again. It would be a sad day when he dies, mostly for his family. I did not know him, but I know what it means to lose a father. After a time the world will forget Mandela the man and father, and only remember Mandela the icon. But in the hearts of his children he will always remain as a person. One thing that I can tell his children, is stop fighting about your fathers assets. There will come a time when you would wish that you can talk to him again and you will never be able to do that. Rather enjoy every minute of your time together. And the BBC forgot one very important event in the history of Madiba and that was the day he could hand over the Rugby World Cup trophy to Francois after we won the rugby world cup. I think that was also a moment of reconciliation.
For me it is about the legacy, I am so much richer in all spheres of my life because of this icon I can only say thank you Tata! My prayers is for a peaceful start into your spiritual/eternal life!
I wish he could live forever, but the bible says “all will come to pass”
I love you Madiba!!!
Nelson Mandela you are my role model. I wish you recovery. If I could, I would recycle you back to your age of active participation in the ANC politics. However, there is no living stone in a human being. If it is God’s will that you must die, I wish you all the best in the heavenly body and rest in peace. And if that has to happen, remember Madiba, you were ready for it even during the Rivonia trial. My love for you Madiba.
Alfred Murye
Ouma, we know that his time is short and his suffering needs to end. Few wish him dead but wish his problems to end and that the selfish ANC will acknowledge that he did not belong to the ANC but to South Africa as well as the world. If he did belong to them they would not dishonour his organisation as they do now by their greed.
You say “It would be a sad day when he dies, mostly for his family” when many of them can’t wait to get their hands on the loot as they have already shown. One hopes he dies intestate and that everything has already been donated to his Children’s Fund, his wife Graca, and other charities and that Children does not apply to the greedy offspring.
Kullu nafs dhaiqatul maut. Every soul shall taste death
Fellow South Africans; we have to all be realistic that Madiba is old. No matter how hard we will pray for his speedy recovery, that recovery should be aligned with our Christianity believe that the Good LORD will lift him up from his sufferings. We should know and accept that its time to say good bye to the great champion of forgiveness and the great icon of Africa after Mualimo Julius Nyerere!
Long live the Madiba legacy.
South Africa
There is a time to be born and a time to die. Please have pity on the old mans plight. No one will live forever. May your Soul Rest in Peace Tata and forgive those who are torturing you so unnecessarily on the hospital machines now.
Pleeaase! let the man go in dignity!!!
All of the to Madiba my God shower him with blessings, and if he was a muslim i would say he must keep on embracing in purity and ask Paradise for hereafter.
I believe he is already brain dead so why are they keeping him connected to life support? Could be to keep the media printing reports which cannot be confirmed. He should be left to pass on with the dignity he has earned.
http://harpers.org/archive/2008/12/mandelas-smile/
A life well-lived, Tata. You have selflessly served your family, your community, your province, your country, your continent, the world, and the universe. While we’re all waiting with hope that you recover and still be amongst us, we understand that no one lives forever. However it’s not over until the Heavenly father says so.
and the universe……………?
hmmm…. have been wondering about that as well. and also that pray to the forefather spirits. Maybe it will be a much better idea to pray to God in heaven through His son, Jesus Christ,,
We must appreciate life. His soul is suffering cause of many people coming in & out of his room. I think family must chase the media away. Family & friends must just leave him for few hours so he can make his own prayers with his ancestors when you are old you only want to be alone. Obama is lending tomorrow something is going to happen after he left.
But is this a truth in the first place
Pls Africans let us prepare the way for him.tru christ,he was born in south africa so to together with other fellow comrades to free the country from the apartheid regime.
I think he has done what was meant to be done by him so its time to rest.go tata u will always be in our hearts as Africans.
Nelson Mandela, you lived your life according to the highest principles i.e putting your fellow men before yourself. Your honesty , forthrightness and respect for even your opponents, which is lacking in the ANC of today, should be followed by all that get into politics. Politics is about service which you did 100%.
First I would like to thank Madiba for dedicating his whole life to fighting apartheid and to being a source of inspiration to other black people in order for them to continue with the struggle to free an oppressed black, coulored and indian people,for that I say hoorrraaaay Madiba for a life well lived. Also I would like to thank God for giving us a valuable present in a form of Madiba and to also humble myself before poeple of the world that if it is time for him (the oldman) to go, let him go in peace,I think he has fulfilled what he was here for (in this world),please let him go in peace.
a super role model for the human race. god works in wondrous ways! Only praise and thx
mandela is a great man by any standards set by humans . if you dont like him its because you are selfish and jealousey. our african leaders can do themselves a great favour by coping all of madiba s examplary leadership for the good of our continent. africa needs colour blinnd leaders like madiba. madiba i salute you.
f shoka is correct in saying that Mandela is a great man by any standards set by humans and that African leaders could do themselves a great favour by copying all of Madiba’s exemplary leadership for the good of our continent.
He is wrong, however, to believe that Mandela is almost god-like. Mandela should have condemned the evil that has become so pervasive in our country. Mandela permitted the closure of Teacher Training Colleges and Nurses Training Colleges, the introduction of OBE and failed to prevent the deterioration of our security services (police and army).
When Mbeki told him that he should keep quiet as he was no longer in charge of the country he should not have accepted the slight but rather have insisted that his conscience dictated that evil was wrong whether practiced by the ANC or anywhere else and that he was obliged to condemn if from whatever source.
Mandela’s subsequent silence resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of AIDS sufferers, the rape of countless women, children, babies and men, corruption that beggars belief, the destruction of education by both the Minister (text book delivery and minimal standards failure) and SADTU (strikes, poor training, refusal to permit improvements to the substandard system).
Mandela was the only one that might have prevented South Africa from changing from the polecat to the laughing stock of the world. His refusal to speak against the iniquities of the ANC government has allowed the nation’s majority to suffer massive service delivery failure but not the intelligence to accept that their own support is responsible for that failure.
If you have the FACE of the country you are obliged to have the VOICE of the country.
Thank you, Tony. You do not wear blinkers but are balanced and unbiased in your opinion.
Well Tony is quite right that Mandela should not be treated like an angel, every human being has the weaker side. Even all men once in a while get in touch with their feminine side. In so saying, we fully agree that Mandela was born in the era of no technology as well as being incarcerated for 27 years. This according to me; no leader can be compared to him, and I still stand by my earlier comment that Mandela comes on the footstep of Julius Nyerere (If most have forgotten about him, he was the president of Tanzania, check him out).
My point is, he may have lacked vision as to where to take the country from the time he was sworn in as president, but he lived by the words of the late Henry Squire Gordon Makgothi (First ANC Chief Whip) that ” In order to be a leader, you must be willing to be lead” Having two deputies meant he was willing to learn and to be lead in the process. There are lot of failures and success alike that can be sighted.
Failures:
The biggest of them all was a promise to built free housing to South Africans. During the apartheid regime, houses how ever small they were, were subsidized at affordable rates. That created an element of ownership and great care. Promising to give people free houses meant easy come easy go. There was no absolute reason to promise people free housing while he was set and sure to win the elections.
Playing big brother and accepted influx of uncontrolled refugees in the country. Accepting refugees is not a bad thing, and we should also take note that ANCs we refugees all over the world. But at some point in time, we should have know when and where to draw a line. A lot of them now account to the high population of the country in the last census.
Democracy is a good thing which ensures that the country is governed in a transparent manner, but allowing people to abuse their democratic right by encouraging them to strike with unrealistic demands has created a society that is gradually loosing its dignity and foresight. This is something that shall never be corrected even up to the next century.
20 years later, citizens are still living in shacks and probably South Africa is the only country that is still using toilet bucket system which is so unhygienic.
Successes:
Uniting all South Africans in trying to make them one nation. That was his vision and dream to see all living harmoniously, and for that I salute him, you will agree with me that “hats off”
Unity through sports, remember him lifting up the AFCON Cup to Neil Tovey? Remember him lifting Rugby World Cup to Francois? The Madiba Magic?
The list is endless of his successes. But we should also agree that there are some failures of which most of them are deep rooted in affecting our economy today. This is not Wonkie, it’s me. I stand to be corrected.
Well said, Lesego! Thank you!
People of God, we could not tell God what to do. Leave Gogo Madiba with his Creator and see what happens. It is not for us to determine his destiny.
I think talking about post Madiba and the rest is highly inappropriate. In any critical period of any human being we must find the way to assist with whatever possible because God can do anything with human being. Look at Jona. where people close chapters like you seem to have done, God opens them. This thinking is humanly wrong. Remember Madiba is everything to us refrain from hurting us.
People do not want angels to lead them they want leaders with advanced leadership styles like Madiba, in any struggle there is vision which many interprete in the similar manner but with different intentions.In this regard Mandela was very clear.That is why we have ‘rainbow nation’. It naive to say he lacked the vision and strategy or this could reflect little understanding regarding party politicas and relevance to good governance. Like him or not nobody is like him today tommorow and forever.
Madiba cannot live forever. We also have to take cognisance that he is way over 90 years. Do we really want to live by the lies that are being fed to us by the government that “Mandela is in critical but stable condition”! “Mandela is breathing with the assistance of a machine, but that does not mean he is not able to breath on his own”! Really! Come on people, I don’t think we are being fair to our icon.
When last he appeared on national television, it was shocking to see how frail he was, and yet here we are saying we pray for his speedy recovery. For once let us all be realistic and pray that God lifts him from the pain he is in. Let us all be true Christians. Mandela is mortal like anyone of us. There was never anywhere written that he has been blessed with immortality. the only blessing he was ordained with was that of a true leader.
Former statesman FW De Klerk, Phathekile Holomisa are saying the same thing we are saying. We should know when its time to let go.
chepha, the ‘rainbow nation’ is a long forgotten dream, destroyed by those that succeeded Mandela.
Mbeki permitted hundreds of thousands of AIDS sufferers to die due to his refusal to allow proper treatment.
Zuma destroyed the country and its reputation by his deploying unskilled cadres to pillage the country’s finances but are oblivious to the need to provide services, assist the poor, fight our scourge of rape, improve our abysmal education, generate jobs. The list of his failures beggars belief but if the ANC is re-elected next year they will gladly retain him so that he may turn the country into a wasteland
Quite pointed right, there is nobody like him today and tomorrow reiterating that every single being is created uniquely. Who knows if he sat on the throne for two terms what he would be like? We could probably have seen another side of him. I am saying he is a a living legend. But every legend has shortfalls somewhere along the way.
Would you call giving police instructions “shoot to kill” when Inkatha was demonstrating in Johannesburg CBD and people lost their lives in 1993 visionary leadership and little understanding of politics?
Endorsing invasion of a small country like Lesotho in 1998 without approval of SADAC where Lesotho’s solders lost their lives. According to Mail and Guardian, Lesotho was able to account for the number of their dead solders, to date SANDF has not accounted fully the number of solders who died in Lesotho. How much did taxpayers like you and me coughed to sustain the costs of putting our solders beyond our borders for for 4 years in Lesotho? Are we still saying this is depiction of vision and good governance?
The current chief is vying for second term in office, one wonders where is South Africa heading taking note of Marikana massacre! Let us not embalm Madiba with pure and scratch free gold like he never made mistakes during his turner in office. Constructive criticism will help us to build and sustain South Africa we believed in since apartheid era.
Thank you Lesego for your succinct portrayal of the facts
Tata Mandela,you have made us proud,not only South Africans, but the entire world. We love you and wish you strength and wisdom, & we believe that, that is possible. Tata, you are an inspiring leader, a sacrificer the and have been. There is a lot more to say about you.
its mazing how Mandela has become a unique man even in hospital any the future of DR is God’s hands
Frankly speaking, the government is playing God now. If you all anlyse people who are friends to Madiba, who have paid him a visit in the last two weeks, we can all conclude that “Madiba is in serious condition”. Let us cut off the nonsense ” but stable”
He is in the environment that when you visit him, one has to wear the health costume from head to toe in order not to contaminate him. People who are in such an environment are under life support, no doubt about it. Two people who visited him, did not come right as to whether they were able to speak in a two way form of communication.
Why am I saying the government is playing God? There are lots and lots of initiatives that are lined up which are going to be kick started on the 18th July. New National ID card, handing over new houses etc. This is simply a campaigning strategy by the government. A day or two after that, they are going to switch off the life support.
This is also buying time for his daughter who is busy now exhuming the bodies of his children. Mandla reburied the three children in 2011, why did the family wait for Madiba to be in hospital? Why didn’t they challenged the re-burial before he was admitted to hospital? Why is Makhaziwe on top of re-burial now busy changing trustees of Mandela Family Trust? Why did she not change them before he was hospitalised? Wake up people. First week in hospital can tell you that Madiba was not able to coherently do any thing.
I can visualise the speech of our “shower head polygamist Induna a day or two after Madiba’s birthday ” Fellow South Africans, after a long illness in hospital with a problem of recurrent lung infection, the doctors have done everything within their power, but it is with great sadness I…….” Watch that, though I know a lot of people are not going to be happy with my comment, but wait, watch and see! I know this government like the back of my palm. Watch!!!!
Considering that there are plenty of figurative and literal funeral dress rehearsals going on in government at the moment, Lesego, Wonkie doesn’t believe you’re far off the mark with your comment. Wonkie supposes that it is only fitting that the greedy and opportunistic try to capitalise the crap out of situation, regardless of how distasteful it might be.
Madiba you’ve been a greatest among greatest icons of the world. Wishing a speedy recovery.
The greatest icon is now being immortalized with the aid of machines most probably until elections next year!