LEARN FROM NELSON MANDELA
“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.”
From Barac Obamas speech 10.12.2013
When US President Barack Obama took to
the stage at a soaked FNB Stadium this afternoon, his speech brought both world
leaders and ordinary South Africans to their feet. Here are the 10 key moments
from that speech:
1. Obama started by honouring ordinary South
Africans, a tip of the hat that was well received in the stands.
“His struggle was your struggle. His
triumph was your triumph. Your dignity and hope found expression in his life,
and your freedom, your democracy is his cherished legacy,” he told the crowd.
2. He noted that Mandela, despite his
status as a global icon, always considered himself as just a man – a gentle
reminder well received by South Africans who recognise and often embrace
Mandela’s flaws as much as they celebrate his strengths.
Obama shared one of Mandela’s most
famous quotes: “I’m not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who
keeps on trying.”
3. He offered a shoutout to other
struggle icons, and the ANC, acknowledging Mandela’s status as a hero alongside
other heroes and a stalwart of the organisation: “But like other early giants
of the ANC – the Sisulus and Tambos – Madiba disciplined his anger; and
channelled his desire to fight into organisation, and platforms, and strategies
for action, so men and women could stand up for their dignity.”
4. He gently reminded us that Mandela’s
fight was for a multiracial society, invoking one of the statesman’s most
famous statements at the Rivonia Trial: “I have fought against white domination
and I have fought against black domination. I’ve cherished the ideal of a
democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and
with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to
achieve. But if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
5. He used just the right language –
towards the end of his speech, the US president spoke of “Ubuntu”, to a rousing
cheer from the cold, damp crowd.
6. He picked key moments in Mandela’s
presidency carefully, mentioning Mandela’s role as sporting icon and unifier
(“taking to the pitch in a Springbok uniform”) and a man not afraid to speak
against the tide (“turning his family’s heartbreak into a call to confront
HIV/AIDS”).
7. He turned the focus back to ordinary
people, asking how Mandela’s lessons could be applied every day.
8. After President Jacob Zuma’s chilly
reception from sections of the crowd, Obama took a dig at “leaders who claim
solidarity with Madiba’s struggle for freedom, but do not tolerate dissent from
their own people”.
9. He sneaked in a little well-timed
humility: “Over 30 years ago, while still a student, I learnt of Mandela and
the struggles in this land. It stirred something in me. It woke me up to my
responsibilities – to others, and to myself – and set me on an improbable
journey that finds me here today. And while I will always fall short of
Madiba’s example, he makes me want to be better.” Cue rousing cheers from the
crowd.
10. Obama wrapped up with a little
populism, throwing in this quote from what’s widely acknowledged as Mandela’s
favourite poem, Invictus:
“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.”
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