“It always seems impossible until it’s done” – Nelson Mandela
These wise words by Nelson Mandela perfectly describe the journey of his life. The man who went on to become the first black president of South Africa, putting an end to the long-standing apartheid in the area, after giving 27 years of his life to prison.
Mandela was born in a small village, which was controlled by the British at that time, and rose in South Africa as a symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle and a leader of the resistance against black people in the nation.
He went on to start several alliances and organizations to fight for the freedom of Blacks. Mandela opened the first black law firm, the African National Congress, and even rejected a pardon to spend time in jail instead of backing down.
The first black president of South Africa had an influence that wasn’t restricted to the African nation. It went beyond borders and was felt internationally. Here is a look at how Nelson Mandela influenced the politics of South Africa.
A Democratic Nation
This was perhaps the most significant impact of Nelson Mandela’s political legacy on the nation. Mandela negotiated with de Klerk, who was the president at the time, to allow black people to vote. Before that, black people were not allowed in any voting booths as a part of the apartheid movement, even though they made for the majority of the population in South Africa.
In 1994, Nelson Mandela won the democratic elections by taking up the majority vote, about 62%, and becoming the first black president of the nation.
The number of people who come out to vote may vary nowadays. But, building democracy, which allowed the majority population to choose their ruler via votes, was a legendary change in the African political scene.
Remembrance Over Revenge
A landmark moment for the five years Mandela was in office was the setup of a Truth and Reconciliation Committee. The concept behind this committee was to choose peace rather than opting for revenge by abusing power.
Mandela was of the view that it is important that the world remembers the struggle of the black community and the injustices launched against them. Still, he did not stand for extracting revenge by doing the same to their oppressors.
He sought to achieve this via Truth and Reconciliation, under which people who had wronged the blacks could come forward and gain amnesty by accepting their crimes and breaches. In this way, the nation could move towards a unified existence.
This moment could have easily turned into one of bloodshed and war, but Mandela’s wisdom led South Africa towards peace and coexistence.
The Inclusion Of Women In African Politics
Before Mandela took over South African politics, women only had 2.7% of the representation in the government. However, things changed afterwards, and after almost twenty years, the representation of women in the government has climbed to more than 44%.
Mandela promoted the rights of women fiercely and was of the view that the oppression of women must end if the nation wanted to move forward. He had a mission of ensuring gender equality in Africa, and his legacy is still carried forward.
Conclusion
Nelson Mandela is one of the biggest names in the world. July 18 is celebrated worldwide as Nelson Mandela Day to remember and commemorate his intense struggle to end apartheid and create a non-discriminatory nation for all inhabitants.
There is still a lot of work to do, but Mandela sure paved the way.