Critics trying to prove or disprove Mandela's sanctity failed to grasp
that he was simply a political leader guiding his country through
transition
A fitting way to commemorate Nelson Mandela
is to describe his arrival in the townships during the first democratic
elections in 1994. The crowds travelled up to 100 miles in cattle
trucks or minibuses to get to places that apartheid had deliberately
made remote and barren. Then they waited for hours, in a ramshackle
stadium with little shade. Despite being punctual in his personal life,
Mandela on the campaign trail was always late: a victim of overambitious
scheduling and inefficient minders.
Finally, the crowds saw his
cavalcade throw up dust in the distance, and they began to sing the
campaign song Sekunjalo Ke Nako (Now is the Time). Everyone started to
dance, ululations and cheers growing in intensity. Many of those present
had not seen Mandela even on TV, and knew his face only from posters
and newspaper pictures. Flags and placards hoisted above heads created a
ripple at first, then a wave of excitement on a sea of black, gold and
green.
