Usha Anenga
The
names Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela and Robert Gabriel Mugabe need no introduction
to any studious African. From the southern part of Africa, both were
revolutionary leaders for their respective countries, South Africa and
Zimbabwe. They both had similar beginnings, attended the same institution,
University of Forte Hare, and took similar paths of political activism and
struggle with the same purpose. However, along the line after attaining power,
both went separate ways and took actions that ultimately determined their
destination; One as a hero and the other, a villain.
Mandela
and Mugabe, born just six years apart, shared the same political ideology to
liberate their respective countries from the shackles of white minority rule,
albeit under slightly different circumstances. South Africa was colonised by
both the Dutch and British. During the later years of this arrangement, racial
discrimination and segregation of the black majority was institutionalised such
that there were deliberately substandard provisions for the indigenous black
community ranging from schools, to settlements, markets, parks, buses... you
name them! It is against this backdrop that Mandela, brasking in the euphoria
and confidence of a young lawyer teamed up with other like-minded contemporaries
to reverse the undesirable status quo. As co-founder and leader of the African
National Congress, ANC, Mandela conducted incessant anti-colonial campaigns
against the government for which he was arrested and imprisoned.
Zimbabwe,
on the other hand, is a peculiar case. Then called Rhodesia, it was also
colonised by the British but somewhere along the line, members of the British
leadership in the country, in a bizarre twist, declared independence from the
central British adminstration in Britain. This development infuriated the
indigenous people who were suing for complete freedom from the white-rule and
resulted in agitations that led to the Zimbabwean war of liberation; a
guerrilla war that lasted 15 years. Foremost amongst the freedom fighters was a
young teacher called Mugabe. He also led pro independent black-led state
protests that earned him a conviction and imprisonment.
Mandela
eventually spent 27 years in prison while Mugabe spent 10 years, and after
their release, both were seen as heroes who fought for the emancipation of
their people. Mandela, participated and won election to become the first black
President of South Africa while Mugabe also contested and won elections in his
country to become the first black Prime Minister, later President of Zimbabwe.
As
expected, both leaders inherited broken system laid with the brittle foundation
of racial discrimination and segregation, and had the challenge to rehabilitate
the society in order to pave the way for sustainable development. Mandela took
the path of social change, emphasising reconciliation between his country's
discordant racial groups including former colonialist communities. He
maintained the British and Dutch economic framework while introducing measures
to encourage land reform, combat poverty, and expand healthcare services.
Mugabe
idea of change was different. He sort a more physical and vindictive reversal
of the legacies of white rule. Consequently, he ordered the removal of colonial
statues, renamed parks and roads named after prominent colonial figures. He
initially made commitment to racial reconciliation even appointing two white
ministers but as time went on, his disposition towards the whites began too
change. In 1981, after a bomb went off at his party's headquarters, Mugabe
blamed the white community for it and soon he criticised and blamed them for
every negative thing in the country.
Another wrong move was the forceful seizure of farmlands from the white farmers with which he planned to resettle homeless back families. These developments led to a mass exodus of the whites who controlled considerable property and dominated commerce, industry, and banking in the country, with many migrating into neighboring South Africa. Soon, Zimbabwe's loss became South Africa's gain, all down to the choices of their leaders.
While Mugabe held age-long resentment over wardens who supervised his incarceration in prison, Mandela forgave and recruited some of the prison wardens he served as soon as he became president, also regularly visiting the prison which has now become one of his countries biggest tourist attractions.
Perhaps
the proverbial "straw that broke the camels back, the albatross of
Mugabe's choices as a man and leader of his people was his decision to cling
unto power. His insatiable appetite for power made him unpopular amongst his
people who once hailed him as messiah. Amidst intense protests, the 93-year old
was forced to resign shamefully yesterday, bringing an end to 37 years of rule
as the world's oldest President and sparking jubilant celebrations in the
streets of Zimbabwe. His South African counterpart, Mandela on the other hand,
left the stage when the ovation was loudest. At the peak of his reverence
despite calls to rule for life, Mandela bowed out of office after just one
tenure becoming the first and only African leader to do so.
The
lives of two fine gentlemen who shared similar beginnings, passion for their
downtrodden kinsmen ended in two contrasting destinations. Mandela, though
dead, will be remembered as a revolutionary leader, hero and world icon with
fond words such as rendered by Former US President, Barack Obama, "the
most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us
will share time with on this Earth. He no longer belongs to us; he belongs to
the ages." while Mugabe will be remembered as a man whose end contradicted
his beginning and as simply put by Bishop Desmond Tutu, "a cartoon figure
of an archetypal African dictator who destroyed a beautiful country".
LESSONS
1.
We are products of the choices we make. Choices determine much more who we
become than our abilities. Both Mandela and Mugabe had almost equal beginnings
and abilities but their choices made the difference between success and failure
for themselves and the nations they led.
2.
Maintaining a successful life is sometimes more challenging than attaining the
height of success. Both Mandela and Mugabe fought for freedom and attained the
leadership of their respective countries but their management of this
successful feat was even more challenging. One managed it successfully while
the other faltered.
3.
A freedom fighter doesn't always make a good leader. Many are very good at
criticising and pointing out what is wrong but struggle badly when given the
opportunity to lead. Mugabe as well as Mandela were proficient freedom fighters
but the former was not as good a leader as he was a fighter, clung unto power
and perpetrated the very acts he fought against.
4.
Be observant and recognise when it's time to quit. Too much of everything, even
a good thing, is bad. Some say, "it's best to leave the stage when the
ovation is loudest". Mandela probably was aware of this and took advantage
to remain relevant for life and even in death, while Mugabe was oblivious to
this fact and overstayed his welcome.
5.
Success without a successor is failure. Mandela ruled for a single term and
handed over the mange of leadership to Thabo Mbeki, his fellow comrade in the
struggle. Mugabe on the other hand struggled unsuccessful to install his wife, his
former typist as his successor. That is failure!
6.
Forgiving doesn't make you weak. It's rather a virtue of the strong. Mugabe
showed his power by resenting the former colonialists, his seizure of their
farms resulted in a massive food crisis and dip in the economy of Zimbabwe.
Mandela forgave and moved for racial reconciliation which is still an ongoing
process but has done his country a lot of good.
7.
Nothing is totally bad and nothing is totally good. While taking measures to
dismantle the social impact of institutionalised racial discrimination and
segregation in South Africa, Mandela was careful not to destroy the economic
framework of the colonialist. Today South Africa is the actual largest economy
in Africa.
8.
Change must not just be physical to be reckoned with. Mugabe sought after
dismantling and renaming buildings and other physical structures giving little
attention to the non-tangible aspects of change; attitude, organisation, policy
and how the people felt about his leadership. Most times, leaders are more
concerned about physical structures and buildings, figures spent on projects
rather than the non-tangible social impact, or not, of these interventions on
the common man's standard of living.
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