Nelson Mandela was definitely one of the greatest leaders of
our time, he made South-Africa marching towards real democracy after 42 years
of apartheid and more then two centuries of white power. With him and his leadership
South-Africa became a country ruled by government that was elected by all the
people of the land.
Mandela fought for social and civil equality, he didn't only
seek equality according to the law, he was also a socialist and as such wanted
equal life standards for all colors.
When he was released from Ruben island prison and elected
president in the first democratic elections held in South-Africa 1994, he
understood that it's impossible to realize all his ideals. He knew that getting
justice for all who suffered during the apartheid means decades of public
trials that will keep every body bleeding. Too many people of all colors where
involved in atrocities for ideological reasons, too many guilty souls. Instead
he helped devising the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that was headed by bishop
Desmond Tutu. This commission secured truth instead of justice and
reconciliation instead of punishment. It also got peace instead of civil fight.
The commission heard thousands of all colors, some accused and some confessed.
The commission decided upon compensations and punishments and pardons. It was
clear that you have to choose between peace or justice you can't have them
both, so they chose peace.
When you compare the South African conflict
to another persistent conflict the Israeli Palestinian conflict, it's as if the
Israelis are handing over the sovereignty of the old part
of Jerusalem while the Palestinians give up on the right of return.
Mandela did not only give up on civil justice
for peace and political rights, he gave up on social justice as well. His
government did not deal with redistribution of wealth or nationalization of
public services and natural resources like the prime minister of UK Clement
Atlee did in his time. Mandela who had socialistic views on statehood, preferred
good relations with the ruling elite of South Africa and the western world. The only way he could get them to cooperate
with his main goal, true democratic South-Africa. This was the price for
bloodless revolution, in return robber
barons like World Bank, International Money Found, and domestic tycoons
cooperated with the new government to make South-Africa prosper. Prosperity lasted
until 2008
when neo-liberal economy crushed upon meeting the rocks
of reality. Democratic South-Africa did not invest enough in public
education and public health. It did not supply the population with every human
right that is written in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. Quit the opposite, it went with the Washington
consensus and privatized national services and basic rights like water.
When we look at today's South-Africa's social
unrest, it seems like a big change is needed, a change towards social justice.
It was right to achieve political and civil equality in 1990 but now is the
time for another change this change is needed all around the globe but it is
more so in South-Africa. If the nation will not go for social justice soon it
may fall into a bloody class \ race revolution, this will be the total opposite
of Mandela's wishes.
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