By Bessie House-Soremekun
 |
|
A
military fly-past above a statue of former South African president Nelson
Mandela at the Union Buildings in Pretoria Photo: Getty Images
|
Over the past week or so, we have all been in global mourning over
the death of former South African President Nelson Mandela, a man for all times
and seasons. I would like to also pay my respect to this extraordinary man.
Nelson Mandela defies definition by any conventional standards
that we as members of the human community can create. He was a very special
person and symbol to the world of the importance of taking a stand for things
that he deemed to be morally correct and just and was willing to accept the
tremendous punishment that was meted out to him as he stood his ground.
In this case, Nelson Mandela personified the belief in the
importance of eradicating apartheid and the numerous structures in society that
were outgrowths of one of the most inhumane and unjust systems on the face of
the earth. He also believed in racial equality for all South Africans and the
idea that all racial, ethnic, religious, and gender communities could live
together in harmony utilizing the principle of racial reconciliation and mutual
self respect.
The United States shares much in common with South Africa, because
as the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. has noted, 'We also had a form of apartheid
here in the United States.' Although there were some important differences,
there were also marked similarities as well. The word 'apartheid' is an
Afrikaaner word that means separateness.
Although the roots of the word can be traced back to early efforts
by the Afrikaners to separate themselves from the British colonialists who also
colonized South Africa, the word took on a different meaning as it eventually
connoted the belief that individuals should be separated based on racial
characteristics and skin color.
Although the Portugeuse first traveled round the coast of West
Africa down into the lower tips of Southern Africa on their way to find a route
to the East Indies, the first colonial power to settle in South Africa were the
Dutch people who penetrated the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th century, first in
the year 1647 for a brief period of time and later in 1652, when the Dutch East
India Company decided to send an exhibition under the command of Jan Van
Riebeeck.
A few Germans, Englishmen, and Danes were also amongst the early
group. Around 1688, a small group of French Huguenots who were Calvanist
Protestants that had earlier fled to the Netherlands from France to avoid
persecution, traveled to South Africa as well. The Huguenots became assimilated
as a result of intermarriage into the Dutch and German communities.
The term 'Afrikaner' was used to refer to Dutch-speaking white
South Africans who were part of the Dutch Reformed Church. They were also
referred to as 'Boers' in the seventeenth century which meant farmers in
the Dutch language. Over time, the terms 'Boer' and 'Afrikaner' were used
synonymously to connote "all Duth-speaking South African whites."
This time period is particularly important because it marks the
time of the advent and expansion of capitalism on a global scale. The Dutch
East India Company, a profit-making entity, was interested in using its'
resources to bring South Africa, a very wealthy country in terms of its'
natural resource endowment, into the orbit of global capitalist economic
development.
When the Dutch entered South Africa, they were welcomed by the
indigenous Africans, but later many violent conflicts developed as Europeans began
to take the land, cattle, and other resources of the indigenous people. In the
early 1800's when the British arrived, because of their more advanced naval
capability and their desire for control and power as well, a three-sided
military struggle developed between the indigenous South Africans, the British,
and the Dutch.
The discovery of gold and diamonds in the 1800s also served to
intensify the struggle between the groups in the colonial period because of the
economic imperatives of global capitalism.
Through the years, as a member and one of the leaders of the
African National Congress, Mandela fought for the rights of all South Africans
to be treated with dignity and respect. His goal was to one day create a
multiracial democracy in the land of his birth. Mandela was accused of treason
and sentenced to serve 27 of the best years of his life in a South African
prison.
But, the struggle for equal rights and justice continued. He was
finally released from prison and was subsequently selected to receive the Nobel
Peace Prize along with F.W. DeKlerk in 1993. He was also elected as the first
South African President in a truly democratic South Africa in 1994. He served
one term in office. He also appointed Bishop Tutu to serve as Chair of the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission which was created to promote the process of
healing in the country.
Nelson Mandela, through his many acts of heroism, bravery, and his
consistent pursuit of the attainment of human rights for all South Africans,
have made him a truly enduring and well-respected global leader. His refusal to
take retaliation against his persecutors was truly admirable and set a global
standard for methods for achieving hope and reconciliation.
He was truly one of the greatest transformational figures in world
history. We salute him for his phenomenal leadership, moral tenacity, and
unflinching courage in the face of tremendous adversity. Although he has
departed this earth in a physical way, in a real sense, his essence will live
with us forever. Although he is gone, he will never be forgotten.
May his soul rest in perpetual peace, now and forever more.
Bessie House-Soremekun is Professor of Political Science and
Africana Studies and Director of Africana Studies, Indiana University Purdue
University Indianapolis, USA.
No comments:
Post a Comment