By Simon Wright - Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
Thursday
night was a sad evening for the world as the news filtered through of the death
of Nelson Mandela. The former president of South Africa had been ill for the
majority of the year and it is fair to say that while we weren’t surprised of
his passing, it still comes as a devastating shock when it was officially
confirmed by current president Jacob Zuma a few days ago.
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| Nelson Mandela was an inspiration to all and a person I looked upto |
His funeral
next Sunday will be among the biggest of our time, up alongside the likes of
Princess Diana and the Queen Mother. All of us would have heard of Mandela and
those who delve into the historical archives will also be aware of his life and
his extraordinary heart to forgive those who imprisoned him for so long
throughout the 95 years he shared with us on our planet. Mandela (pictured) did so much in
the world and was one of the 20th century’s most influential
figures. He didn’t just make South Africa a better place to live; he touched
everyone with his appeal, charisma and determination for a more peaceful world.
He made some powerful speeches (no Paris
Hilton – not ‘I Have a Dream!) and made enormous sacrifices to help those
who needed him most. No-one should ever forget the charity work that he
conducted, even more so after he retired from office in 1999.
For me, I
felt this death more than when other famous figures have passed away. When we
grow up, we all have people that inspire us or heroes to look upto. I had two and Mandela was one of these. I looked upto him and had
huge respect for what he did for his country and for others who needed the help
and support.
I have two
lasting memories of Mandela’s legacy – one of bringing a nation together and
another of mixing sport and politics and providing some memorable pictures
still widely remembered today.
After he was
finally released from prison in February 1990, following over 25 years in jail
and many of those in the harshest of conditions possible, Mandela aimed to
unite South Africa and end the terrible Apartheid regime that had seen the
country almost totally excluded from world matters. He became president of the
ANC (African National Congress) and urged for the fighting to stop, the guns to be laid to rest and for a
country to unite itself. There is no doubt in my view that without the presence
of Mandela, South Africa would have slipped into civil war and if anyone
remembers the conflicts in the 1990s in Bosnia, Kosovo and the constant battle
between the Israelis and Palestinians, it would have been a nasty fight for supremacy.
With Mandela
as the driving force, South Africa was pulled back from the brink and in April
1994 came the first ever democratic elections in the country. I always remember
the news bulletins of people queuing in their hundreds of thousands to vote. This was
historic; one of the worlds most powerful stories of a dramatic final decade of
the 20th century. It came at a time where the world was rapidly
changing. Germany had been reunified, the USSR was dissolved and even for a
while, the conflict in the Middle East had been halted by a peace agreement. I
might have only been five at the time, but the impact of Mandela struck a chord
with me. When I read his full story a few years later in my education, I fully appreciated his background. I knew the main facts but
understanding it took more took time. Unsurprisingly Mandela was an overwhelming
winner of the election and became president, serving one term in office. With him at the helm,
the good times came back to the South African people and they had been missing
for many years.
A year later,
the Rainbow Nation hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup. South Africa were ranked
only 10th in the world and had little hope of ending the domination
of the world rugby powers at the time which were New Zealand and Australia. There were still problems as the minority of white people felt on his
election that they were going to be excluded from this revolution. Not so in
Mandela’s eyes. He saw everyone as equal and had regular dialogue with the Springboks
players, particularly skipper Francois Pienaar as they made the final, beating
the world champions Australia in the first match and the French in a semi-final
that was more remembered for the shambolic weather conditions.
In the final,
South Africa played the all-conquering All Blacks and the most feared player in
international rugby at the time in Jonah Lomu. Lomu had battered Ireland, Wales
and Scotland in the early rounds and then ran rings around England in the semi-finals,
scoring four tries. Surely this was a complete mismatch in the showpiece event? However it
was not just a sporting occasion but a political landmark.
Mandela
believed his country could win and made an entrance onto the field wearing a
Springboks rugby jumper before the game, rather than his best suit. Any other worldwide politician
would have done the latter but Mandela was not an ordinary individual, he was a
classy politician. He shook the hands of every South African player and the
Ellis Park crowd responded. The chants of ‘Mandela, Mandela’ motivated the
hosts. The game itself wasn’t a classic but the occasion overshadowed this.
South Africa triumphed 15-12 in extra-time and afterwards, the players all
bowed together in prayer to thank God for this incredible moment. It was left for Mandela,
still in his Springboks rugby jumper to present Pienaar with the golden Webb
Ellis trophy in one of sport’s most famous moments of the past 30 years. This
was a time where sport and politics – often a dangerous combination, came
together perfectly and it was because of Nelson Mandela. This story was so powerful; Hollywood turned it into a movie – ‘Invictus’ which was
released in 2009.
In later
years, his health did deteriorate but the tributes that flowed in after his
death was confirmed, not just from famous faces in politics,
showbiz and sport but also from people I know on my Twitter and Facebook news
feeds showed how much Mandela was valued, respected and thought of by so many
people worldwide.
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| Nelson Mandela - 18th July 1918 - 5th December 2013 |
While we are
all sad that he is no longer with us, his spirit will remain and his legacy
will be untouched forever. It is time to say goodbye and thank Nelson Mandela
because he made the world a much better one to live on. For me, he is the most
inspirational person that has lived in my lifetime. The world will move on and
it must do but no-one should forget Nelson Mandela. He will always be remembered for his kindness, thoughtful and peaceful approach to his beloved
South Africa and our planet.
Farewell
Madiba and thank you.
Nelson
Mandela – 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013, RIP.
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