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| Nelson & Winnie Mandela arrive in Lagos |
On February 2nd, 1990, to the relief of the civilised world, The Honourable Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was released by former South African President FW De Klerk after 27 years of incarceration by the country's apartheid regime which crumbled shortly after. The inevitability of his release was due to among a cocktail of factors, the global deification of Mandela as the spiritual leader of South Africa's resistance in a rapidly changing world that had seen the Berlin wall come down months before then.
For decades Nigeria had been a heavy supporter of the Anti-Apartheid/Free Mandela campaign and our dream was about to come true. As a teenager in those days it was normal to have grown up amidst a culture of anti-apartheid protest. Besides the dangerous pens wielded by writers back, we also had songs by the likes of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti ("Beast of no nation"), Sonny Okosun ("Fire in Soweto"), Majek Fashek ("Free Mandela") and an army of khaki clad militant reggae artistes that were the rave back then. (Not to mention a special edition of defunct comic, "Ikebe Super" in which the protagonists Papa Ajasco and Pa James with the aid of juju, successfully lead an army into SA and overthrow President Botha) It was natural that weeks before his release, welcome rumours had been filtering in that the amiable and indeed noble FW De Klerk would let Mandela go home and the excitement ran thick until it came to pass.
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| Sonny Okosun's 1977 smash album |
Shortly after his release, accompanied by his gorgeous then wife and comrade, Mrs. Winnie Mandela, he embarked on an African tour to visit and thank the nations that had supported the struggle for freedom and Nigeria was not left out. He arrived in Lagos on board a Presidential jet and by stroke of luck he visited Enugu, then capital of Anambra State. This writer was a schoolboy in the Federal Government College and as a keen follower of the news, I knew that the military governor, Col. Robert Nnaemeka Akonobi (Rtd) had organised a grand public reception for him at the Okpara Square, Independence Layout. With the help of an older cousin who was going, I hatched and carried out the successful plan to ditch school for the day and attend the event to get a glimpse of my hero.
The venue was packed by the time we got to the square at about 9am and by about 11am an amazing troupe of the Nigerian Police Band took the stage and started with a knockout performance of Lucky Dube's hit song "Back to my roots" that had people leaping out of their seats. During their performance we all became aware of the approaching sirens of the governor's convoy and the word seemed to spread like fire through the crowd, "he is here!". To our delight Governor Akonobi's convoy pulled into the square and the crowd went wild when Madiba and Winnie stepped out of an army green peugeot with their fists pumping in the air "amandla" style. What struck this writer was how different he looked from the defiant younger man in the images we had gotten used to as the symbol of black resistance during his almost three decades in prison. He was 72 years old and had morphed from a man of war to a statesman of peace who would go on to win a nobel prize. Thousands of voices chanted endlessly, "na na na na, hey hey hey, see Mandela" as he and Winnie took a walk round the square to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd. He gave a speech in which he praised Nigeria for all the support for the struggle and stated the need for peace.
Shortly after the speeches, it was the turn of Highlife musician Bright Chimezie and his Zigima Band to entertain and it was a memorable performance with the notable moment when midway into a trademark shuffle, he sprinted up the podium to salute and trade a robust two handed "hi-five" with Mandela and embrace Winnie before dashing back to his microphone to announce - "I just fulfilled my life ambition, make una clap for me". It all seemed to pass so quickly and before you knew, Governor Akonobi had given a closing speech and whisked our hero away in a blur of green cars.
23 years after and though grateful for a glimpse of the greatest African who ever lived, this writer rues the failure of numerous plans over the years, to meet him face to face without the distraction of two thousand screaming voices. He was a fighter who humiliated his oppressors with patience, wisdom, courage and enormous character and drove the final nail into the coffin of state segregation globally. A hero and a very special breed of man, the unusual type of which we may not see on this earth again. Though of Xhosa stock from South Africa, he was adopted by the world including Nigeria where he was awarded the title of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR) and joined Emperor Haile Selassie as two of only three non-Nigerians to receive the award.
Shortly after his release from prison, then Senator Joe Biden asked him why he didn't hold any grudges against the people who had oppressed him and taken away most of his life he replied -
"I was friends with my jailers they were my friends they were just doing their jobs. When i was released they all lined up to shake my hands and wish me well..."
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| His Excellency, The Honourable Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela GCFR (Nigeria) 1918 - 2013 |
RIP SIR!
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