The Mighty Baobab

The Mighty Baobab has fallen.  I can say with a great degree of certainty that I speak for most South Africans when I say what a blessing it has been to have had a giant walk amongst us. The giant, the mighty Baobab: Nelson Mandela. I can think of no other man who has had such a profound impact on, not only South Africans, but humanity as a whole.  This mighty Baobab, lived to the ripe mold age of 95! I always say that somehow after spending all those years in prison, God had to make it up him by ensuring that he lives past the age of 80! However, even though He was old and had fulfilled his God-given mandate it was still a shock when I was told, on the morning of the 6th of December that the great hero had gone gently into the eternity the night before. A sense of numbness and bewilderment and perhaps even disorientation overcame me. As I flipped through the various tv channels, both national and international, all I saw was Madiba coverage. As I drove to work that Friday morning, the sky was overcast and threatened rain. It was as though, nature too, was in mourning.  On the other hand, in African culture, rain symbolizes blessings, and if it rains before a big event it means that that occasion is surely blessed by the showers from the heavens. So perhaps in a way the overcast sky could have been a symbol of nature's sadness, but the rain, a symbol that indeed we have been blessed to get an opportunity to live in the same lifetime as that of Madiba's.  Only Madiba, can get Cuba and the USA to share a stage. Only Madiba can get Zimbabwe and Britain to share a stage. This is indeed a true reflection of the person that Madiba was, an individual who in death, as in life, is able to bring people from opposite ends of the spectrum to unite for a common cause! The passing of the Mighty Baobab has affected millions of people. Listening tote radio I have heard many people calling in to share their stories and memories of the Mighty Baobab. And yesterday I was reminded of my own story about Madiba. Even though I have never met him in person, this is my story:  It was 1994. I was 8 years old. I lived in Soweto, Protea North.  It was in those days when multiracial schools had just opened their doors to black children. I had just come home from school and when my parents came home from work, I confessed to them and told them that although I know that a persons vote is a secret, I had encouraged all the children in my combi that they should tell their parents that they should vote for the ANC in the upcoming elections so that Nelson Mandela can become President.  In the days leading up to the elections, I remember rallying up all the neighborhood kids and conducting my own version of "voter education for kids" encouraging them to do the right thing and put that X next to the ANC Emblem!!  As I look back, what fascinates me and my parents about this story is that as an 8year old, I had never been "schooled" in politics, no grown up had ever sat me down and explained that in 1994 the first ever democratic elections would be held in SA. Furthermore, for some reason I seemed to have an understanding of our country's electoral system : that one votes for a political party and not an actual individual candidate. Hence, little 8 year old me was able to make the connection that a vote for the ANC was indeed a vote for Nelson Mandela!!! This points to no other fact,other than that I was born an activist! And have been conducting door to door campaigns since the tender age of 8! Nelson Mandela, you have bequeathed upon us a legacy of forgiveness, justice, peace, humility and integrity. My prayer is that as South Africans we will continue to strive to create a better life for all, based on the values that you have shown us.  Christ  Jesus, had to first die so that we can live. I am by no means comparing you to the Saviour of the world because that would be sacrilegious. But just as through the death of Christ (and ocourse His reassurection) there came life, we pray that your passing will ensure a new dawn for South Africa. May this land of ours never go back, but move forward to bring to life the ideals that you and many that have gone before you have fought for!!!! I can only imagine, the heroes welcome you received when you walked through the pearly gates into eternity. What a thunderous applause you must have received as our late heroes such as Oliver Tambo, Chris Hani, Walter Sisulu, Steve Biko, Kwame Nkrumah, Thomas Sankara, Samora Mâchel, stood to salute you!!!!