One-sided reconciliation is not the answer

YESTERDAY marked Mandela Day, a day in which many South Africans come together to dedicate a few minutes of their time to charitable causes.

This year’s Mandela Day came against the backdrop of the death of Zindzi Mandela, ambassador to Denmark and daughter to Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizelamandela.

Nelson Mandela is regarded as a unifier by many, a statesman who is idolised here and abroad by people across racial lines. Most of this admiration is informed by his onesided reconciliation project which spectacularly failed.

When the news of Zindzi’s death was confirmed, social media platforms were awash with hateful comments from a small section of white South Africans who hated her.

They didn’t wait for confirmation of the cause of death but assumed it was due to Covid-19.

Zindzi was the daughter of two icons but managed to step away from their shadows and be her own person. Her well-documented opinions on land and racism sent her on a collision course with her boss Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Co-operation and the farming community.

It is quite strange that many white South Africans who describe themselves as humanists who don’t see colour, hailed Mandela as a hero yet they detested his daughter and his ex-wife extremely.

It would seem that what made Mandela likeable to many white South Africans was his forgiving spirit. His administration had an unenviable and delicate task of undoing many decades of inequality and segregation.

His focus on forgiveness, reconciliation and not land redistribution made him the kind of black leader white people admired.

It’s a pity that those who hailed him as a hero were unable to learn from him and emulate his reconciliatory stance.

You see it in the vitriolic reaction to South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi’s stance on Black Lives Matter.

Those who defend racism want Ngidi to stop talking about his experiences.

We need to do better as South Africans to honour Mandela’s legacy.