Rest in peace Mandela

“Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.” 
– Nelson Mandela

Since his passing on Thursday, December 5, tributes have poured in from around the world honouring the life and legacy of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. His life story is one that has inspired millions, and will continue to do so throughout the ages; the lessons that can be drawn from his experiences – and how he faced them – are manifold.

World leaders have paid tribute to Mandela, fondly known as Madiba. Many of them expressed that he was an inspiration to them; a personal hero.

South Africa’s President Zuma said, “Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father. Although we knew that this day would come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss.”

Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell, in paying tribute, noted that “Mr. Mandela is arguably the greatest public figure of the 20th century; whose eternal legacy will be about the importance of forgiveness, reconciliation and respect for all people. Through shear moral conviction he transcended politics, and inspired people of every culture, everywhere.”

US President Obama said, “We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again. So it falls to us as best we can to forward the example that he set: to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love; to never discount the difference that one person can make; to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice.”

The UK’s PM Cameron lamented, “A great light has gone out in the world. Nelson Mandela was a hero of our time… Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time; a legend in life and now in death – a true global hero.”

Despite the sadness the world feels right now, we can find some comfort in the fact that Nelson Mandela was one world shaper who was able to end his days naturally and in peace. In fact, when one considers the dangers he faced during his fight against the racist and oppressve system of apartheid, one must appreciate and be truly thankful that he was blessed to live to the ripe old age of 95.

He was the face and unifying symbol of a movement to bring down an embedded regime within his country – and not always by peaceful means. And whatever he achieved within South Africa would have a ripple effect across the world. He spent 27 years in prison doing hard labour. And when he was finally freed, he then took on the monumental task of ushering in a new era for South Africa as the first black President at the age of 71.

How many other leaders who represented the promise of major ideological or political change could count themselves so lucky? Certainly not Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X or John F. Kennedy Jr. These men were all cut down before they had the chance to  naturally pass on their baton. History was left to wonder – what if?

Not so with Mandela. Rather than being lost to the world through violence or political machinations, he was able to depart this earth peacefully and surrounded by family.

One is not even tempted to ask ‘what if… he hadn’t spent 27 years locked away, how much more might he have achieved’, because it was this hardship which defined him as a symbol of freedom and conviction. It no doubt also had a profound effect on his character, moulding him into the man capable of the great dignity and grace for which he was revered.

Nelson Mandela may have succumbed to his mortality, but ultimately, he is immortal.

There can hardly be any doubt that he is resting in peace.