Madibamania
2008-07-23 14:08
Unathi Kondile, News24 User
Are you telling me that on the 18th of July the world came to a standstill? Are you telling me no-one was a victim of crime on the 18th? No ATMs were bombed? No drunken driving arrests? Nothing happened in Zimbabwe? No bombing in Palestine? No suicide bombers felt suicidal? No unhappy Somalis in this or that camp? Well that's great then!
On the 18th of July I witnessed the SABC broadcast entire news bulletins solely on Madiba as if nothing else had happened in the theatre of the day. It gets worse. Every newspaper or every website you came across was Madiba this and Madiba that.
Look I like Madiba too. But this is taking it too far and even got me thinking on the exactitudes of what Madiba did do that no-one else in the ANC didn't do back then? I'm not being ignorant of his many accomplishments and sacrifices but one has to sit down and really ask: What it is exactly that Madiba did differently?
Other families didn't only do 27 years in jail but even lost loved ones during the fight for freedom. Others spent time in exile and it is those that were in exile that did the most for this country by way of alerting international communities on the plight of South Africans and getting the old regime sanctioned and put into a tight spot.
Don't limit yourselves into thinking the 1950s Defiance Campaign or Codesa or negotiations with tat' uMadiba, nkosi Buthelezi and De Klerk yielded this freedom. Those were catalysts, yes. The old regime had no choice because it was being pushed hard internationally.
Yes, Madiba was part of this movement but not the sole pusher for freedom.
Is it a type of saviour mentality that seeks to say, "He forgave us, after we'd yanked him into jail for 27 years"? Is that what this is all about? The entire struggle has, worldwide, been reduced to a one man show. Something which the ruling party, and the party that Madiba stands for, is against.
To say: "To hell with the ANC!" and "We love you Madiba!" in the same breath is an exaggerated oxymoron. Remember that the ANC worked and allegedly still works as a collective. Therefore in acknowledging Madiba you are also unconsciously acknowledging the party.
Struggle reduced to madiba?
Madiba embodies the ANC and acted out in the manner in which he did because of the party's principles. Will the world stand still and an entire news broadcast be dedicated to the ANC when it turns 100 years old in the year 2012? I doubt it. But one has to also ask him/herself as to why the struggle has been reduced to Madiba-ism?
Fact of the matter is that many people gave more to the struggle than what Madiba could give. I, too, am also grateful for what Madiba has done, but this recent spate of worldwide Madibamania needs to settle. Yes, we know there is a large number of "eternally gratefuls" to this knight in shining armour and many still live in constant fear of what will happen after this "glue holding the country together" (JZ, 2008) is no more.
Book flights to Antarctica? Mass emigration? I don't know but I do know that at 90, "Happy Birthday to you!" must be the worst cliché ever in one's life and that at 90, people need to leave you alone. He has done his bit and now let us focus on pushing the lot behind him to live up to his legacy and most importantly - to the legacy of the party.
The struggle is nowhere near its end. There was just a "colourful" exchange of governance in 1994. Nothing happened. Nothing changed in this country, yet many cry "freedom!"
Power is still indirectly in the hands of the minority. Many are still segregated from the rest, many still live in poverty and as Madiba euphemistically said: "There are many people in South Africa who are rich and who can share those riches with those not so fortunate who have not been able to conquer poverty." - I think this meant those who benefited from apartheid need to start sharing their ill-gotten gains.
And with that, I too would like to extend my belated birthday wishes to utat' uMadiba.
And in the interest of being unbiased - I mentioned the ANC five times here and will also mention some opposition parties five times as well: DA x 5, IFP x 5, ACDP x 5...
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