MADIBA IS NOT EXACTLY A HERO

Nelson Rolihlala Mandela, the foremost South African leader died on the 5th December, 2013 from a lung infection. The world stood still, flags began flying at half mast and world leaders began sending in their condolences to the family of the man who somehow became the only turning point in the history of the black nation. Like Martin Luther King Jnr, Frederick Douglas and their likes, Madiba as he is fondly called stood up to white dominance, they made unflinching dedication to the course of the black people and today, thanks to them, the black race can say we amount to something.
However, as the mourning continues, I believe a few points of observation will be necessary at this crucial time in world history. Contrary to widespread beliefs, I do not exactly believe Nelson Mandela was a hero. He achieved remarkable things, stood out in history as one of the greatest that ever lived, yet to me he is not a hero.....HE IS FAR MORE! He surpasses the definition of a hero, his personality goes far beyond that of a legend, he is worth more in living and even in dying.
We should ask ourselves, what exactly does the name Madiba mean? Madiba is a South African title of respect for South Africa’s most famous icon, Nelson Rolihlala Mandela. While alive, Nelson Mandela was affectionately called Madiba by South Africans and people outside his country. Madiba is the name of the XHOSA tribe in South Africa that Mandela belonged to. In that region of Africa, naming a man after the name of his tribe is considered one of the greatest honours that can be given to a man. So Mandela was just not a hero, he was and will always be an embodiment of the values, the hopes and the aspirations of the African people.
Prior to the year 1990, Mandela had spent 27 years of his life in prison because he stood up to challenge the inhuman policies of the apartheid regime in South Africa. I examined this situation and I realized not many men alive can suffer such lengthy incarceration for the cause of his people and come back out fighting the same cause. This tells me, that Madiba was not just a hero; he qualifies to be considered a good believer in Christ and in God. He persevered, suffered just so his people could be free...Mandela was not a hero, he was and will remain so in dying, AN APOSTLE OF CHRIST.
At the expiration of his first tenure as President of South Africa in 1999, he refused to seek re-election. In his words to Olusegun Obasanjo, “Olu, show me one country in the world whose President is 84 years old”. Obviously, Madiba was still not aware of the greedy tendencies of the likes of Robert Mugabe and Paul Biya, yet he believed it was abysmal for a person to rule a nation at such advanced stages. Madiba was not just a hero, he was and will always be a model for governance, a reference point, a lesson in good manners for the likes of Mugabe, Eyadema family and the Biyas of Cameroon.
Madiba once said, “A man’s success is not in how many times he falls but in how many times he falls and rises again”. That statement directly speaks to many and speaks to me too, that failure is not final. He could have said this theoretically, yet, his life was a practical example of falling and rising after every fall. To me, Mandela was just not a hero, his life is a practical example of determination and persistence...the traits people like me need most.
I could go on and on....but as Obama said, “he no longer belongs to us; he now belongs to the ages”. When the roll is called up yonder, I believe Madiba will be counted as one of those through which God sent to man, the gift of freedom and equality for all men. His name is printed in gold, for the Mugabes, the Biyas, the Eyademas, the Jonathans, the Assads and their likes to see. When a great man bows out, then death beckons on little men to hasten up and do something. Mandela is out, I sincerely hope we do something to this crumbling world of ours.
Adieu Madiba...go take your place behind the stars!