Ahmed Kathrada: To rejuvenate the ANC we must be like Mandela — ahead of our time
Three years after Nelson Mandela’s death, fellow freedom fighter Ahmed Kathrada reflects on Madiba’s leadership lessons and their relevance today
Over the past few months, I have been thinking quite a bit about Nelson Mandela – madala, as he and I called each other. My mind wanders along the hills of Qunu, asking them to narrate to me fireside stories of one whom they have housed in life and death. Stories, as you’d know, are rich in life lessons, and solutions to complex problems are often found in simple tales. It is a few of these stories from the life of Madiba, steeped in wisdom, courage, loyalty, discipline and selflessness, that I think need to be remembered today. Mandela was essentially a team person. But, as an individual, he by word and deed also contributed towards shaping the trajectory of life for all South Africans. The story of the masses of our people is his story, and his story, is theirs. Therefore, I am not surprised when during some of my visits to schools and community events in various parts of the country, children and adults tend to associate the liberation struggle with the name of Mandela. On the ot...
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