Mandela exits the world stage

THE EDITOR: I followed with great interest the recent visit of the living legend, the iconoclast, Nelson Mandela, who successfully defied the evil socio-political system of apartheid, imposed upon his people by European colonial powers. This great world statesman, whose indomitable spirit was neither broken nor dwarfed by the ignominies of imperialism, fascism and racism, has demonstrated even greater qualities of leadership in his personal dedication to honesty and integrity as the hallmarks of his character. Now that the first free President of South Africa has “retired from retirement,” history will surely record Mandela’s humility, his sense of fair play, his simplicity and his determination to allocate blame, or praise where it is due.

To many, Mandela’s oft-repeated protestations that he, “had said it before and would reiterate” that the idea of establishing the “truth and reconciliation commission” was not his brainchild, but was suggested by others is ample testimony of his impeccable sense of honesty and fair play. Is there any contemporary political leader, Premier, Prime Minister or President who would deny the adulation showered upon him for any assumed accomplishment? Nelson Mandela stands head and shoulders above contemporary world leaders who wilfully lie and deceive the world in their greed for wealth power and hegemony. On a daily basis, at the international level, we the public are fed lies, compounded by supporting lies, to rationalise the primary lies.

By contrast, Nelson Mandela stands clearly apart from the hypocrisy we experience as a world community in the 21st Century. But to return to my original point, one wonders at the dilemma faced by Mandela’s post-apartheid government after sustained oppression and brutality. A change of government did not bring about a simultaneous change in the structure, composition or personnel of the old apartheid regime. The old judiciary was still intact; the bureaucracy, the police and the social structure. All that had changed was the government; new faces in Parliament. New policies and new personnel would take time to implement. Thus it was foolhardy to think, much less believe, that justice against the brutal perpetrators of apartheid would be attained in the courts of the old regime. Criminal prosecutions would have fizzled out into protracted mirages; the process subverted by unwilling witnesses providing insufficient evidence. Minimal convictions, if any, would have been tainted by intimidation and collusion from the ‘‘ancient regime.’’ Justice would not have been served.

Thus, the only reasonable option that Mandela and his government faced was to adopt a policy based on wise strategy. Mere punishment of the oppressors in prison, however limited, would not serve the greater good or salve the conscience of the perpetrators. The greater good, therefore, was more appropriately served by placing on public record the numerous atrocities, the ignominious crimes of that evil system, for the perusal reflections and analysis of future generations. This approach, to elicit and record the truth from the fearful and unwilling, was conceived more as a strategy than a remedy. None would be willing to spill their guts to serve justice, but self-preservation is a greater motivator, with stronger attractions. Thus the apartheid criminals were offered amnesty; freedom from future prosecution if they rendered accurate and full confessions of their crimes on the proviso that their accounts would encompass the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The basis of the proviso was that if in future any information emanating from other sources proved the given evidence to be deficient, distorted or flawed, the criminal would be made fully liable for all his crimes.

Thus, full disclosure was presented as a virtue instead of an impediment. Justice was served as a Document of Truth for posterity. Condemnation of apartheid as a reprobate system of oppression would serve as an object lesson for all future fascist, racist, ethnic cleansers and bigots. Thus, the Truth and Reconcilia-tion Commission: did not seek revenge which would have proven to be a short-term localised remedy, but succeeded in achieving the greater goal of exposing the vices of oppressive regimes, with implications for other perpetrators on the world stage. May all people throughout the world salute you, Nelson Mandela, world statesman, as you exit the world stage, for your profound sense of honesty, integrity and fairplay. The fall of apartheid should serve as a primary lesson for contemporary Hitlers, modern day colonists and international pirates.

FAROUK HOSEIN
Political Scientist