Author: Edson Charikinya
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Former United States President, Bill Clinton (right)
with former South African President, Nelson Mandela,
on his 94th birthday (July 18th, 2012). |
The
international community joined South Africans in wishing Nelson Mandela a happy
94th birthday on July 18th. World leaders sent birthday wishes, with
others, such as former U.S. president Bill Clinton, jetting into South Africa
on the eve of the great man’s birthday to convey their wishes. But not all
Africans feel that Mandela is the greatest African leader of the past century,
as he is often portrayed in reverence. There are others who feel that president
Mandela, by not addressing the question of economic freedom in South Africa, “sold
out” the same people he spent a greater part of his adult life fighting
for. Comparisons are quickly drawn between Mandela and Zimbabwe’s President
Robert Mugabe, with some praising
the latter’s determination in confronting his country's difficult history
at the expense of his international reputation. Mandela and Mugabe are both
equally two of the greatest living African leaders, even as the world’s media
and political pundits’ attempt to portray Mandela as the better of the two.
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| A young Nelson Mandela |
Mandela’s
contribution to Pan-Africanism is undisputed despite being in prison for the
greater part of Africa’s fight for independence. In 2004, in a New African poll of 100 greatest Africans, Mandela
polled first ahead of even Kwame Nkrumah, the founding father of the African
Union (UN). Mugabe came in at number three. The same magazine and issue
described Mandela as “A living legend. The symbol of Africa. [A] Freedom fighter.”
While Mugabe was described as a “[A] Fearless pan-Africanist …who is fighting
for [indigenous Africans’ right to] Land.” For Nelson Mandela to have come out
on top against the likes of Kwame Nkurumah is a great achievement. The late
president Nkrumah was Ghana’s first black president and an early Pan-Africanist
leader, who is largely accredited with having assisted – directly, in most
cases - in the liberation of many African countries. Mandela is well known for
dedicating his life to fighting for democracy and the equality of all races and
his dream of a peaceful nation, free of racial bigotry.
But
eighteen years on, after Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC) got into
power, there is still a huge gap between the rich and the poor. In some nations
such a disparity of wealth could be “normal,” but in South Africa’s case the
wealth inequality is a direct result of South Africa’s apartheid history. In
its recent report on South Africa, the World Bank stressed the need for South
Africa to “tackle
economic inequality in order to create jobs.” It is this point that has led to many
disgruntled South Africans in poor townships taking to the streets to protest against the
national unemployment rate - currently at 25 percent - and the persistent
poverty they are faced with daily. The call for equitable distribution of
wealth has been growing louder with this increasing gap in inequality. Various alternatives
are being considered by the ANC but none seems popular with those who’ve
benefited from apartheid, especial politically well-connected black South
Africans who’ve been dolled huge segments of the national economy. This has led
to questions of whether comprehensive economic empowerment in South Africa is
possible without authoritarian, “Mugabe-type” government action?
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| A younger Robert Mubage |
The
struggle for Africa’s independence and right to self-rule was never about
political freedom only. It was also about addressing the economic injustices of
the past that led to Africans being disposed of their land. Delivering
political freedom to Africans has proven a much easier task when compared to
the task of achieving economic freedom. Kwame Nkrumah‘s famous slogan was
"Seek
ye first the political kingdom, and all else shall be added unto you...." It was this message that defined most African
liberation movements. Now that the
political kingdom has been found there is a great expectation by the previously
disadvantaged African that in this new Kingdom the injustices of the past will
also be addressed.
The
manner in which Mandela and Mugabe decided to tackle these injustices is quite
different. Mandela’s methods although internationally applauded have not been
utterly successful, as highlighted by the inequalities that
still persist in South Africa today. On the other hand, Mugabe attempted to
directly confront these injustices with some measure
of success. A recent article that appeared on the front page of the New
York Times written by its Johannesburg bureau chief, Lydia Polgreen, drew
fierce criticism when she suggested that there was a “golden
lining” to Mugabe’s policies of addressing colonial injustices.
 |
Former South African President, Nelson Mandela (left),
with Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe (right). |
When future Africans look back years from now Mugabe
will be remembered by his people for his efforts to empower them and will be loathed
by the West for the methods in which he achieved this, regardless of the
negative consequences from his
efforts. Both leaders have sacrificed a great deal for their people.
Mandela “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.” Mandela at 94 deserves a rest. The
burden of responsibility is now on the next generation of South African leaders
to “realise
Mandela’s dream.”
Edson Charikinya is a Zimbabwean born Chemical Engineer based in South Africa. He is the founder and Operations Director of Innovartis Technology Systems, a Pan-African technology group delivering technology solutions and services to African communities and small-to-medium sized enterprises. He holds an MSc in Chemical Engineering and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Stellenbosch.
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