MY IDOL

NELSON MANDELA 

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Rolihlahla Mandela was born into the Madiba clan in the village of Mvezo, in the Eastern Cape, on 18 July 1918. His mother was Nonqaphi Nosekeni and his father was Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela, principal counsellor to the Acting King of the Thembu people, Jongintaba Dalindyebo. In 1930, when he was 12 years old, his father died and the young Rolihlahla became a ward of Jongintaba at the Great Place in Mqhekezweni1. 

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Hearing the elders’ stories of his ancestors’ valour during the wars of resistance, he dreamed also of making his own contribution to the freedom struggle of his people. 

He attended primary school in Qunu where his teacher, Miss Mdingane, gave him the name Nelson, in accordance with the custom of giving all schoolchildren “Christian” names. 

He completed his Junior Certificate at Clarkebury Boarding Institute and went on to Healdtown, a Wesleyan secondary school of some repute, where he matriculated. 

Mandela began his studies for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University College of Fort Hare but did not complete the degree there as he was expelled for joining in a student protest. 

On his return to the Great Place at Mqhekezweni the King was furious and said if he didn’t return to Fort Hare he would arrange wives for him and his cousin Justice. They ran away to Johannesburg instead, arriving there in 1941. There he worked as a mine security officer and after meeting Walter Sisulu, an estate agent, he was introduced to Lazer Sidelsky. He then did his articles through a firm of attorneys – Witkin, Eidelman and Sidelsky. 

 

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He completed his BA through the University of South Africa and went back to Fort Hare for his graduation in 1943. 

Meanwhile, he began studying for an LLB at the University of the Witwatersrand. By his own admission he was a poor student and left the university in 1952 without graduating. He only started studying again through the University of London after his imprisonment in 1962 but also did not complete that degree.

In 1989, while in the last months of his imprisonment, he obtained an LLB through the University of South Africa. He graduated in absentia at a ceremony in Cape Town. 

Leadership Qualities & Skills : 

1) Mandela had an incredible amount of endurance. 

Nelson Mandela quite simply would not give up his fight to end Apartheid. Ever. This was a man who went to prison in June of 1964 and was not released until February of 1990. For nearly sixteen years of his life, he was kept behind bars and separated from his family. It certainly puts the challenges of dealing customer complaints or difficult employees into perspective. The lesson here is to never give up because your goals are difficult to achieve or because you have run into resistance. 

2) Mandela knew the power of forgiveness.

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew that if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”- Nelson Mandela. It was this spirit of forgiveness and moving forward that led to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. When Nelson Mandela was released from prison and become president he did not seek vengeance. Instead he sought a way to heal the wounds Apartheid had inflicted on his company and bring it together. He led his country on a path of peace through forgiveness. 

3) Mandela had a very strong vision of what he wanted to accomplish. 

Mandela joined the African National Congress in 1944. Between 1944 and 1964, when he was imprisoned, he led a campaign of civil disobedience designed to end Apartheid. During that time, he developed a clear vision of what South Africa could be without Apartheid. When he was released from prison in 1990 and subsequently elected president he set about making that vision a reality. He succeeded because he a clear vision of what needed to happen in order to unify both black and white people in South Africa and achieve peace. 

4) Mandela was a humble man. 

Like other icons of civil disobedience, such as Martin Luther King and Gandhi, Nelson Mandela was a humble man. He was not full of ego and he firmly believed that all great peacemakers had to be people of humility. He said, “I am not a saint unless you think of saint a sinner who keeps on trying.” That humility allowed him to rise above his ego and make great personal sacrifices for his beliefs. It also made him a role model that other people would emulate and follow. Humility allows a leader to lead by example. 

5) Mandela gave people hope. 

The entire arc of his life showed that Mandela was a man who was full of hope. He never gave into despair, even when he was in prison. This unflagging belief in what was right and in the possibility that justice would prevail was often infectious. Great leaders set a moral and positive tone that uplifts their followers and inspires hope. It is how he was able to lead South Africa to peace and unity after Apartheid rather than hatred and more violence. 

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