WE ALL HAVE THE SEEDS OF MADIBA MAGIC WITHIN US

GRAÇA MACHEL

WE ALL HAVE THE SEEDS OF MADIBA MAGIC WITHIN US

On a cold winter’s day at Johannesburg’s Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on 17 July, a day before what would have been Mandela’s 100th birthday, Graça Machel, in a somewhat unusual move, took to the stage to share why we should “celebrate Madiba’s uniqueness in all its forms”.

Graça Machel does not speak in public often. In fact, since the passing of her husband, Nelson Mandela, she has often attended events only to observe without saying a word.

She did make an exception at this year’s annual Nelson Mandela Lecture and spoke at length just before the actual lecture was delivered by former American president Barack Obama (who admitted that the only reason he came was because he was persuaded by Machel). “I was not invited to be here. I was ordered, in a very nice way, to be here,” Obama joked at the beginning of his address.

The former first lady drew parallels between Mandela and Obama, who she described as “one of the finest leaders of the 21st century”. She said

Mandela and Obama represented a bridge of leadership between the 20th and 21st century, built by men of African descent.

“They both stood on the shoulders of giants. They are representatives of the masses and reached the pinnacle of power and influence, but in doing so they were able to elevate the rights and ambitions of the disenfranchised and weak. They both hold unique prominence in our consciousness.

“They give hope and validation to millions of young people who identify with their humble backgrounds. They proved that condition is no limitation.”

To honour Madiba’s legacy, Machel said, “We must search and find in every one of us those values and strengths that enable us to go beyond ourselves, to embrace the bigger causes, to take risks, to make sacrifices for what is right.” She pointed out that Mandela had been influenced by many others, including Albertina Sisulu, who would also have turned 100 this year.

“The tapestry of his legacy has woven many generations of great thinkers, strategists, freedom fighters and the named and unknown who piqued his imagination. As we celebrate him and honour his contributions to the world, we must remember that while his political party strategically thrust him forward as the symbolic face of the struggle, he was not acting in isolation.

“He considered himself a simple foot soldier. On his jubilant release he said, ‘I stand here before you not a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people.’”

Noting Mandela’s humility despite his many achievements, Machel said: “Even having achieved the highest aspirations of humanity, the Madiba I know is a simple, grounded and humble man. As Madiba famously said on 90th birthday, ‘It is time for new hands to lift the burdens, it is in your hands now.’

“Young and old, we all have the seeds of Madiba magic within us to confront the challenges we are facing. We have the ability and responsibility to touch the lives of those around us and uplift our communities. As we reflect on the previous 100 years, we look with optimism to the next 100 years.” •