Mandela: “A Beacon for the Global Community”

Former South African President,
Nelson Mandela,
 who recently clocked 93.

Would you ever dream of becoming a president and global icon if you lost your father at the age of nine, took arms early in life and got sentenced to life in prison?

That was the story of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela who spent 27 years in prison for his strong opposition to apartheid but after his release, became the first South African President to be elected in a representative democracy.

Mandela, who recently turned 93, became the 19th Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1998.

With over 250 international and local awards to his honour, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Popularly called Madiba, the name of his Xhasa clan or “tata” (father), Mandela is revered as an embodiment of global peace and reconciliation.

Upon assumption of office as President in 1994, he made reconciliation the hallmark of his administration through which unity returned to all racial warring factions in South Africa.

Madiba’s 93rd birthday was colourfully celebrated all over the world as many people gave 67 minutes of their time to community services as respect to the celebrant.

In South Africa, tens of thousands of students chanted songs of good-will messages to the man who has wound up as the “tata” of the world.

The anti-apartheid activist received countless good-will messages all over the world, including that of the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama who eulogized him as “a beacon for the global community.”