Conventional wisdom has long suggested that tigers never roamed the African jungle. Indeed, there are no tigers on the continent today, save for a few brought to South Africa from China. However, Nelson Mandela held a different view.
In his autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom,” Mandela wrote, “I maintained that while there were no tigers to be found in contemporary Africa, there was a Xhosa word for tiger, a word different from the one for leopard, and that if the word existed in our language, the creature must once have existed in Africa. Otherwise, why would there be a name for it?”
This quote encapsulates Mandela’s indefatigable spirit and his refusal to accept “givens” as unchangeable. It reflects his determination to continue striving for the betterment of his people’s lives—a characteristic that inspired freedom struggles beyond Africa. The excerpt symbolizes South Africa’s challenges and Mandela’s resilient outlook from the beginning of his political career.
Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., in his book “Cycles of American History,” asserts, “Leaders, good or bad, there will always be, and…democracy becomes a menace to civilization when it seeks to evade this truth. Numerical majorities are no substitute for leadership.”
As the millennium drew to a close, global media endeavored to select a person of the century, a leader of leaders. Despite nationalistic biases, some names consistently appeared across various countries’ shortlists. In England, Winston Churchill was the chosen leader; in the US, figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy emerged. China favored Mao Tse Tung, Russia chose Lenin, India picked Mahatma Gandhi, and Cuba favored Fidel Castro. In Africa—specifically South Africa—Mandela stood unchallenged as the leader of all leaders.
South African novelist Andre Brink noted that exemplary leaders such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Che Guevara gained prominence through liberation campaigns against overwhelming odds. They often fell victim to violence, maintaining their moral greatness without facing the ultimate test. They succeeded in their struggles for freedom and learned to govern after gaining power.
Describing Mandela without using words like formidable, courageous, determined, calm, compassionate, caring, diplomatic, patient, tolerant, magnanimous, disciplined, loyal, and devoted to justice and fair play is nearly impossible. He embodied all these traits and more.
Mandela was charming and charismatic, with a magnetic personality and a commanding presence. Ahmed Kathrada, who knew Mandela for over 50 years, described him as an uncommon blend of peasant and aristocrat, a democrat par excellence with a touch of autocrat; proud yet simple; soft yet tenacious; obstinate yet flexible; vain yet shy; cool yet impatient.
Mandela was a living legend, possibly the most decorated person alive, having received numerous international leadership awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize. His life story reads like a Hollywood script.
**Courage and Determination**
During his 1962 treason trial, Mandela faced the risk of a death sentence when he declared, “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal, which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Mandela realized this ideal only after sacrificing 27 years in prison. He refused to exchange his integrity for any privileges, inspiring generations of oppressed people worldwide with his courtroom remarks.
Three decades later, he reflected, “I was the symbol of justice in the court of the oppressor, the representative of the great ideals of freedom, fairness and democracy in a society that dishonored those virtues.”
Though not religious, Mandela’s courage stemmed from practical experience. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. I felt fear myself more times than I can remember, but I hid it behind a mask of boldness. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
**Magnanimity**
Mandela’s magnanimity shone after his release from prison. He shocked former enemies with his high-minded behavior, genuinely believing in the goodness of all human beings and their capacity for change. “All men, even the most seemingly cold-blooded, have a core of decency, and … if their heart is touched, they are capable of changing.”
This spirit significantly influenced South Africa’s future. “Without Mandela, South African history would have taken a completely different turn,” said Joe Slovo, a former leader of the South African Communist Party. Mandela’s consistent leadership and effective initiatives during his imprisonment unified the movement and prevented violent backlash.
In leading political negotiations for a free South Africa, Mandela’s purpose was clear and unwavering. “I am a politician, and politics is about power,” he explained in July 1992. “I would like to see an ANC [African National Congress] government.” He fought for universal suffrage, leaving the negotiation details to his team while working in the background. “He sets his mind on doing something and he becomes unshakable,” said Cyril Ramaphosa, the lead ANC negotiator. “We would never have been able to negotiate the end of apartheid without Mandela.”
Mandela’s vision served as a “compass” for his team, always pointing towards majority rule. “His zigzags were always leading to the same object,” recalled Mac Maharaj, a fellow Robben Island prisoner and senior ANC official.
**Pragmatism**
The ANC made a historic concession by agreeing to “sunset clauses,” provisions that safeguarded white civil servants’ jobs and allowed for a coalition government. Though costly, this compromise was crucial for a democratic settlement.
The assassination of Chris Hani in April 1993 threatened the negotiation process. Hani’s death nearly plunged the country into civil war. Even President Frederik Willem de Klerk acknowledged that only Mandela could calm South Africa’s blacks. Mandela’s balanced response to the tragedy buried apartheid and allowed him to set an election date, seizing the moment.
Mandela’s pragmatic approach, nerves of steel, and ability to remain calm under pressure were instrumental in the transition to majority rule. “Mandela has nerves of steel,” Ramaphosa noted. “He can be very brutal in a calm and collected sort of way.”
Mandela’s unwavering leadership and pragmatic decisions ensured the settlement’s success. “The search to get back on track always led back to Madiba,” said an ANC delegate, referring to Mandela by his clan name.
**Turning Prison into a Place for His Ideals**
After being sentenced to life in prison, Mandela knew his jailers would try to break him. He guarded against this and maintained his dignity. “Prison and the authorities conspire to rob each man of his dignity. In and of itself, that assured that I would survive,” Mandela wrote in his autobiography. He always believed he would emerge from prison one day, never doubting that he would walk free.
Mandela’s dignity remained intact after nearly 30 years of imprisonment. He became a symbol of honor worldwide. His comrades in the ANC called him a “man of steel,” but the world saw him as a man of honor.
The previously unthinkable prospect of black and white societies moving towards each other has begun and continues as South Africa matures into a full democracy.
