It is ironic that this year’s National Arts Festival with a programme rich in comedic offerings could turn out to be one of the saddest editions of its 39-year history.
It is ironic that this year’s National Arts Festival with a programme rich in comedic offerings could turn out to be one of the saddest editions of its 39-year history.
All South Africans and many millions of people around the world have spent recent weeks anxiously awaiting news on the health of former President Nelson Mandela.
We have watched the comings and goings at the Pretoria hospital where he has been treated and we have noted the unseemly disputes about his final resting place that have risen among members of his family.
It is a terrible time for us all to know that a man who saved this country from itself is now about to leave us forever.
His passing will not come as a surprise to anyone as the ANC hierarchy has gradually been preparing us for the sad day when the inevitable happens.
No one can have a conversation without mentioning concerns about Madiba.
The deteriorating health of Mandela has weighed heavily on the residents of Makana and also on those who are preparing for the National Arts Festival.
The annual event is supposed to be a celebration, but we ask ourselves, can we… should we be celebrating the arts and having a great time while our Madiba is in such a poor state?
We feel guilty about wanting to have a good time – but how can we when he is about to take leave of this world?
Ever since Mandela entered the struggle for a democratic South Africa he always worked to build a unified nation even as he faced a regime designed to divide and rule.
After 27 years in jail he eventually emerged with dignity and an unwavering commitment to the same principles he followed all those years ago.
When he became President of this country, he continued to fight for unity and included in his cabinet members of the National Party who had kept him locked up for so long.
He never once displayed the slightest hint of revenge and publicly enjoyed a cup of tea with the wife of Hendrik Verwoerd.
Mandela made a special effort to go out and celebrate the rugby world cup in 1995 to show his support for the national team – a gesture charged with symbolism and goodwill.
He unified South Africans more than any leader before or since. In the late 90s, if we had had an election similar to the personal popularity polls in the United States, there is no doubt that Nelson Mandela would have swept the boards among all race groups.
Everyone loved Mandela because he made us proud to be South Africans. Once again he is uniting us because as he leaves us one final time, all South Africans will unite in our grief and mourn together.
At the time of publishing, the latest bulletin from the Presidency said that former President Nelson Mandela has improved over the past 24 hours but remains in a critical but stable state.
