Mandela...
Did you know...
- The name Nelson came from his teacher who could'nt pronounce his name Rolihlahla which means troublemaker
- Mandela's number in jail was 46664 which he has turned into an AIDS fundraising campaign. While in jail, he performed hard labor in a lime quarry; he was only allowed one letter and one visitor every six months.
- Mandela had three wives: His first wife Evelyn Ntoko died in 2004 of AIDS, they had three children: his youngest son Thembekile died in a car accident shortly after Mandela was arrested, his only other son Makgatho who was a lawyer died in 2005 from AIDS. They lost a daughter at nine months called Makaziwe, and named their second daughter the same name in honor of their first daughter. His second wife Winnie was the first social worker in Johannesburg and they had two daughters Zenani and Zindzi. Interestingly enough, Zenani is married to the elder brother of King Mswati of Swaziland Prince Dlamini and they live in Boston. Because of her royal status, she was the only family member allowed to visit Mandela in jail. And of course we all know Graca.
- Mandelas father had four wives, and his grandfather was Thembu royalty. Mandela was from the third wife and could'nt be royalty because he was from the 'left side' of the family.
Speaking of Graca, have you ever wondered... was Mandela eyeing her when she was still married to Samora? I like the guy and all but that marrying your buddies wife dry eyed like that and parading it infront of your wife - that i'm not sure about. I think I would have a problem with my friend marrying my spouse after I die, are they mourning or celebrating... I wonder... I also kinda have an issue with the whole your wife stands by you thing then when you pass through your stormy waters you decided on a fresh start. Fair, Winnie could have done some shady stuff but was'nt if for HIS cause? Ama he already had his heart set on his friends wife..? Kinda reminds me of the Bathsheba story....
And whats with CNN's pre-written obituaries? Apparently in 2003 CNN released Mandelas pre-written Ob thinking he was dead - now who in the world writes a pwo? Is'nt that a bit wrong? such a contempt of life! Imagine waking up, grabbing your coffee, opening up the paper and seeing your obituary in the paper - $%!? I think thats enough to cause some serious psychological damage, fast forward one's fear of their mortality why dont you! Ok we all know we are going to die, but no need to make it so technical - personally, I believe its disrespectful to meditate upon and write someone's obituary before they are dead - its demoralising to their humanity to say the least!
Ok i'm done... I bet you learnt something you did'nt know.
WasiWasi
- The name Nelson came from his teacher who could'nt pronounce his name Rolihlahla which means troublemaker
- Mandela's number in jail was 46664 which he has turned into an AIDS fundraising campaign. While in jail, he performed hard labor in a lime quarry; he was only allowed one letter and one visitor every six months.
- Mandela had three wives: His first wife Evelyn Ntoko died in 2004 of AIDS, they had three children: his youngest son Thembekile died in a car accident shortly after Mandela was arrested, his only other son Makgatho who was a lawyer died in 2005 from AIDS. They lost a daughter at nine months called Makaziwe, and named their second daughter the same name in honor of their first daughter. His second wife Winnie was the first social worker in Johannesburg and they had two daughters Zenani and Zindzi. Interestingly enough, Zenani is married to the elder brother of King Mswati of Swaziland Prince Dlamini and they live in Boston. Because of her royal status, she was the only family member allowed to visit Mandela in jail. And of course we all know Graca.
- Mandelas father had four wives, and his grandfather was Thembu royalty. Mandela was from the third wife and could'nt be royalty because he was from the 'left side' of the family.
Speaking of Graca, have you ever wondered... was Mandela eyeing her when she was still married to Samora? I like the guy and all but that marrying your buddies wife dry eyed like that and parading it infront of your wife - that i'm not sure about. I think I would have a problem with my friend marrying my spouse after I die, are they mourning or celebrating... I wonder... I also kinda have an issue with the whole your wife stands by you thing then when you pass through your stormy waters you decided on a fresh start. Fair, Winnie could have done some shady stuff but was'nt if for HIS cause? Ama he already had his heart set on his friends wife..? Kinda reminds me of the Bathsheba story....
And whats with CNN's pre-written obituaries? Apparently in 2003 CNN released Mandelas pre-written Ob thinking he was dead - now who in the world writes a pwo? Is'nt that a bit wrong? such a contempt of life! Imagine waking up, grabbing your coffee, opening up the paper and seeing your obituary in the paper - $%!? I think thats enough to cause some serious psychological damage, fast forward one's fear of their mortality why dont you! Ok we all know we are going to die, but no need to make it so technical - personally, I believe its disrespectful to meditate upon and write someone's obituary before they are dead - its demoralising to their humanity to say the least!
Ok i'm done... I bet you learnt something you did'nt know.
WasiWasi
posted by Wasiwasi at 10:50 PM
3 Comments:
Haiya!! Kweli you have guts! Haven't heard anyone question Mandela's motives before!!! I have never given it much thought, but off the top of my head as they say, I am more with the Mandelas than with you on this. Who better than one's good friend? Especially if they are both widowed (widowered?) / genuienely single. I do want to think that it would be more than physical attraction that brings such two together. I should stop thinking aloud though, ask me another day...
As for the Mandela tidbits, you would think that prison and the struggle for freedom was hard enough, but here's info to show that the guy endured a lot more tragedy personally.
Papa Mtiriki
Papa Mtiriki,
You’re right, the man has endured a lot of personal tragedy, and no doubt, I respect the man.
But … I wonder... why are African leaders always above reproach? No one is perfect, what is good is good and what is bad is bad sio? Has’nt the idol worship of African leaders been one of our biggest downfalls as a continent?
And, I don’t think the dude was genuinely single… he seems to have eyed his friends wife long before his separation as evidenced by the speed at which he hooked up with Miss G after leaving miss W. Knowing African men, maybe Winnie was’nt so bad after all - maybe he just needed her to look that way so he could justify his relationship with miss G? Not important… My point was... We can respect our leaders AND question their motives/words/actions at the same time. I think it’s the road to accountability.
btw appreciate your comments/support!
WasiWasi
Wasiwasi, it is my humble submission that Waafrika at the moment are desperate for a true hero who is recognized and accepted on the world stage. History would also support the notion that every generation in a given culture tends to identify heros of their times and uses them as yardsticks for excellent leadership. I think Waafrika, me included, would rather, and with good reason, elevate Mandela to the same league with Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, etc, than deal with the questions you raise.
That would put him far above the Kibakis and Mubaraks we decry...
I should mention that our day to day heroes Wole Soyinka, Wangari Maathai, just to mention a couple, are really the ones who do the work.
For me, and for most Waafrika I would think, it is not so much Mandela the man, but the rallying call he is, the embodiment of the african spirit that will survive and overcome the seemingly unsurmountable mountains that we are facing. Every generation needs at least one, and Waafrika jameni we can't afford to wait anymore.
I see myself thinking-a-type, so I will stop here.
Papa Mtiriki
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