by Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
One country, one man, and a lifelong commitment to a cause.
“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Answer the following questions:
1) What is Apartheid?
Apartheid was a political system in South Africa that discriminated people according to their race and color of skin. It gave special privileges to white people and not even basic rights to black people.
2) When and where did the inauguration ceremony take place?
The inauguration ceremony took place on 10 May, 1994 after the first ever democratic elections in South Africa. It took place at the sandstone amphitheater of the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
3) What special thing did Mandela notice about the place that day?
Earlier, the Union Buildings were considered the seat of white supremacy, and now it was the site of a rainbow gathering of different colors and nations for the installation of South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government.
4) Who was sworn in as the President, 1st Deputy President and 2nd Deputy President of South Africa on 10 May, 1994?
Nelson Mandela was sworn in as the first black President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki as the 1st Deputy President and F. W. de Klerk as the 2nd Deputy President.
5) Why does Mandela refer to the occasion as the rainbow gathering?
He refers to the occasion as the rainbow gathering of nations as people from all over the world had gathered there to celebrate the victory of justice and fairness. People of different skin colors and nationalities were there united for a common purpose.
6) What does Mandela refer to as ‘an extraordinary human disaster’ and what does he refer to as ‘glorious human achievement’?
He refers to apartheid as an extraordinary human disaster, and he refers to the installation of first non-racial government in South Africa as ‘glorious human achievement’.
7) What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him?
There had been hundreds of African patriots who had fought alongside Nelson Mandela for the emancipation of the blacks. Some of them had lived to see the day of freedom, some of them could not. As this moment of freedom was the collective result of everybody’s efforts put together, Nelson Mandela, as he became the President, felt that he was the sum of all those patriots who had fought for that freedom.
8) In his speech, why does Mandela thank the international guests?
He thanks the international guests for joining in the celebration of a common victory for justice, peace and human dignity.
9) In his speech, what ideals does Mandela set out for the future?
He said that there will be no discrimination of any kind in South Africa by anyone. He pledged to liberate South Africa from the bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.
10) What were the two national anthems for South Africa?
Nkosi Sikekel – i Africa was the national anthem of the blacks, and Die Stem was the national anthem of the whites.
11) What did the military generals do? How had their attitudes changed?
The generals saluted Nelson Mandela and pledged their loyalty to the new democratic government. Their attitudes had changed completely. Nelson Mandela remembered that the same generals would have arrested him a few years ago instead of saluting him.
12) Perhaps it requires such depths of oppression to create such heights of character. Comment.
Nelson Mandela is trying to say that difficult circumstances bring out the best qualities in people. On the day of his swearing in ceremony, he remembers his fellow fighters like Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Chief Luthuli, Yusuf Dadoo, Bram Fischer and Robert Sobukwe.
Nelson Mandela admitted that such depths of oppression and brutality had created such men of extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity.
13) What is Nelson Mandela’s philosophy about courage?
Nelson Mandela said that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
14) How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience? How did Mandela’s hunger for freedom change his life?
OR
What is Nelson Mandela’s philosophy on freedom?
When Nelson Mandela was young, he believed that he was born free. Being able to run in the fields, to swim in the clear streams, roast mealies under the stars, riding on bulls meant freedom to him.
When he grew up, he realized that his childhood freedom was just an illusion. The real freedom of having basic rights had been taken away from the people of his community. This is when he developed a hunger for freedom and decided to fight to free his people.
He joined African National Congress, and this desire for freedom of his community changed the frightened young man into a bold one.
He believed that freedom is indivisible. He is not truly free if any of his people are chained. Chains on any one meant that there are chains on all of them.
He also believed that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred; he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness.
One is not truly free if he is taking away someone else’s freedom, just as surely as someone is not free when their freedom is taken from them. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity, and both of them must be freed.
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