What Would Nelson Mandela Do?

WHAT WOULD NELSON MANDELA DO?

Four years ago, the world lost one of the most respected and revered political leaders of the 20th century. Nelson Mandela died in his home in Houghton, Johannesburg after spending more than a fourth of his 95-year-old life imprisoned.

“But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended,” he wrote in his 1994 autobiography. The timing of the book publication couldn't be more appropriate, as 2017 saw the world grappling with examples of leadership that share little with Mandela’s legacy.

“As a leader, you might set out to solve and create a better world for all. The reality is that problems have long histories. They are like trees, they have roots and the roots go down deep. To solve problems you need patience, you need to know that things don't just happen overnight,” Langa said, discussing what Mandela learned about power.

“He knew this because he was in prison for a long time and it took a long time to come out. He also teaches us that no matter how long the time it takes for a problem to be solved, people must invest the time in solving them,” he added.

South Africa still has deep-rooted problems to solve, such as corruption and abuse of public funds by officials. What would Mandela think of the state of the country and its leadership? “I think he would be disappointed,” Langa said. Langa is optimistic that democratic institutions can survive weak leadership so long as people remain willing to protest. “We have a strong civil society in South Africa. People are willing to go to the barricades, go to the streets and protest and demonstrate. That is a legacy of people who feel there are gains from the democratic process that need to be safeguarded,” he said.

Mandela was also a believer in the power of global institutions and dialogue and cooperation among countries, an ideology challenged by increasingly nationalistic policies in countries such as the U.S., where President Donald Trump won the election with the slogans “Make America Great Again” and “America First.”

“We are seeing many leaders not really listening to the word of those institutions and, as a result, the world we live in is a much more troubled world, because everyone is going at it alone. That creates that turbulence we are finding today,” Langa said.

“If we were at a time when Mandela was alive, he would be fighting for justice,” he added, “The interest of the Americans is connected with the interest of everyone else. A shaky world is unsafe for everyone.”