The first president of the first truly democratic South Africa. |
NELSON MANDELA THE MAN (explanatory notes below) The Man loved his people The Man fought for freedom His powers of negotiation His spirit of reconciliation Saved us as a nation ........................................ The Nationalist Party's rule was cruel The black man kicked aside Don't share our schools Don't stand in our queues Don't sit in our parks Don't swim in our pools Keep out of our toilets "Slegs blankes" The back man was despised, denigrated, spat upon. The African National Congress known as the ANC Resisted segregation and inequality Passive resistance was all they intended, but As oppression of the masses sounded alarms "Umkhonto we Sizwe" - the ANC took up arms In 1960 the ANC was banned Unacceptable threat to "a White Man's Land" Now working underground An end to the system had to be found Humanitarianism being their reason They risked the ultimate punishment for committing treason Their hideout discovered and raided Hope for their lives quickly faded Brought to court to hear their fate Mandela had these words to state: "DURING MY LIFETIME I HAVE DEDICATED MYSELF TO THE 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 IN HARMONY WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES. IT IS AN IDEAL WHICH I HOPE TO LIVE FOR AND ACHIEVE. BUT IF NEEDS BE, IT IS AN IDEAL FOR WHICH I AM PREPARED TO DIE." The judgement: High Treason The sentence: Imprisonment for Life. Banished to an island Hard labour chopping rocks His body was imprisoned But never was his mind ANC members in exile Doggedly pursued the cause Secret messages passed Through a network of channels Avenues persistently explored The ANC could not be curbed Twenty-seven years The Man had served Mandela's name well-known abroad His voice could now not be ignored Relenting, South Africa's President F W de Klerk Met with The Man behind closed doors Over time mediators drew up plans To heal the country's bleeding sores The ANC was unbanned The prison gates were opened Mandela stepped out a hero To the cheering of the land Speeches were made Respects were paid The way to elections was laid Previously not even a chance remote This time each person had the right to vote The winning party: the ANC Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela: First State President of the country's first true Democracy - 1994 ......................................... Notes: "Slegs blankes" - Afrikaans for "Whites Only". Afrikaans was the language spoken by most members of the ruling National Party. Apartheid - policy of racial segregation of the Afrikaner-dominated National Party which came to power in South Africa in 1948. "Umkhonto we Sizwe" translates into "The Spear of the Nation". It was the militant wing of the ANC. The island where Mandela served most of his sentence is Robben Island, off Cape Town. It now attracts visitors who wish to observe the conditions under which he served and to learn about his life. Mandela was born in in 1918. He was one of few black people in South Africa to receive schooling and a university education. He was a lawyer by profession. Now ninety-four years old, he is frail. |