Yesterday, I received a phone call from a friend in South Africa, she said 3 words "Mandela is dead". I initially rejected the notion and went on the world wide web to try get more information, however subsequent calls and messages affirmed it and it was already being broad-castedon the TV.
At that point various eulogy's/admonitions and the likes were already in full throng.
However, one nagging thought I couldn't get off my mind was "Are we ready ?".. "Are we ready for the death of a 95year old man ?".. This was affirmed more while scrolling through my facebook wall, I saw a post by someone which read "RIP Mandela, died too soon". I did reply saying he was 95years old but writing this, I realize the "poster" might have shared the same line of thought as me.
Mandela left office in 1998, making no public appearance till 2010, however he has unfortunately been plagued with bouts of illness since then, (one might expect a 92 year old man to be stronger ?).
Also, I remember sometime this year, when he was reportedly rushed to the hospital and had to be placed in the ICU. Sometime last week also, I was reading an interview excerpt granted by a member of the family, she said it was painful seeing him just lying there, that they'd had to keep him sterile as his body was susceptible to viruses. He was virtually living off life support.
These precedents goes to show that it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. There was a great premonition. However, like every other thing African, we didn't prepare.
Mandela wears size 54, do we have a person that wears size 12 ?. Over the last decade, we've seen Malala in Asia, Obama in America and Africa ?.. Well.....
Mandela is gone now, leaving the continent without a moral leader especially at a time of great unrest across the continent. However, in his death, he might just be able to do that which was difficult while alive, raising a new crop of African leaders based on values that he eschewed as I want to believe his death might be a source of inspiration to folks across the continent to live a life worthy of note.
Till then, I only hope African doesn't rot as we still have some empty shoes to fill.
RIP Nelson Mandela, Gone too soon.
-Olusegun Joseph
Integrity Development Organization.
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