An anthology of poems in celebration and in commemoration of Pa Nelson Mandela. A Publication of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers in conjunction with the West African Young Writers and Publishers Association.
Nelson Mandela, born in 1918, South African activist, winner of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, and the first black president of South Africa (1994-1999). Born in Umtata, South Africa, in what is now Eastern Cape Province, Mandela was the son of a Xhosa-speaking Thembu chief. He attended the University of Fort Hare in Alice where he became involved in the political struggle against the racial discrimination practiced in South Africa. He was expelled in 1940 for participating in a student demonstration. After moving to Johannesburg, he completed his course work by correspondence through the University of South Africa and received a bachelor's degree in 1942. Mandela then studied law at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He became increasingly involved with the African National Congress (ANC), a multiracial nationalist movement which sought to bring about democratic political change in South Africa. Mandela helped establish the ANC Youth League in 1944 and became its president in 1951.
The National Party (NP) came to power in South Africa in 1948 on a political platform of white supremacy. The official policy of apartheid, or forced segregation of the races, began to be implemented under NP rule. In 1952 the ANC staged a campaign known as the Defiance Campaign, when protesters across the country refused to obey apartheid laws. That same year Mandela became one of the ANC's four deputy presidents. In 1952 he and his friend Oliver Tambo were the first blacks to open a law practice in South Africa. In the face of government harassment and with the prospect of the ANC being officially banned, Mandela and others devised a plan. Called the "M" plan after Mandela, it organized the ANC into small units of people who could then encourage grassroots participation in antiapartheid struggles.
By the late 1950s Mandela, with Oliver Tambo and others, moved the ANC in a more militant direction against the increasingly discriminatory policies of the government. He was charged with treason in 1956 because of the ANC's increased activity, particularly in the Defiance Campaign, but he was acquitted after a five-year trial. In 1957 Mandela divorced his first wife, Evelyn Mase; in 1958 he married Nomzamo Madikizela, a social worker, who became known as Winnie Mandela.
SALUTE TO A VETERAN
Firstly, it is an honour
To paste my black ink on white paper,
All because of Pa Nelson, the veteran
Who fought for liberation…
In the gruesome days,
Of apartheid regime and racial discrimination
Here is a man of humble stature
An elder, so highly resilient
Who spent years inside prison, for my greener pasture…
Twenty seven years of retribution
Oh what calamity, Oh what retribution
A few reach the peak of such greatness
When obstacles arise in the land of mixed cultures
He stood on trial without denial
Among valiant comrades of the Rivonia trial
Wearing curly brown Lion’s skin
Royalty of the Thembu tribe at heart
An active activist of humanity
Showcasing exceptional longevity
Yes indeed, it is an honour
To fuse poetry, in celebration of his legacy
A man who led, Umkhonto We Sizwe
The Renaissance of the African National Congress
Oh hail Madiba, Oh hail Rholihlala,
God was ecstatic, in creation of thee,
Never held riffles, to find a solution
Non-violent soldier, a man of peace
Who negotiated peaceful talks…
And because of his wisdom, his courage, his strength
I can live in a peaceful country,
Achieving livelihood goals, of such greater length
How can a man-repay such a great man
Thinking of all these privileges
As Pa Nelson lies, in a private Pretoria hospital
Polluted by all kinds of paparazzi
My heart aches in pain, salty tears run down my cheeks
His condition may be critical
His condition may be unstable
But long live Pa Nelson
I salute you my veteran!
Lazola Pambo