uKofi Annan ngo Nelson Mandela

Intetho sifundo ngo Mandela

©Eric Miller

uKofi Annan wasebenzisa ithuba lakhe kulo msitho, we Nelson Mandela Lecture yesihlanu ngomhla wama 22 Julayi 2007, wokukhumbula igama lika Nelson Mandela nobuntu bakhe ngokuvakalisa ukuvuya kwakhe nenkosikazi yakhe ekuchitheni ‘Imini yakho yokuzalwa apha e Johannesburg’(ngomhla we 18 July) waze wongeza intetho yakhe ehlekisayo: “Ndinethamsanqa ngokufumana ithuba lokuba ndithethe kwi Mandela Lecture yalo nyaka. Phambi kokuba ndiqale, kukho into endifuna ukuyicacisa. Ndihambisa ithetho sifundo ehlonipha u Nelson Mandela.

Andihambisi ntetho sifundo ku Nelson. Ndingayqala ngaphi lonto. Ukuba ndingayenza, ndinombono wakhe emamele ngesithozela nangomonde. Kodwa mandinixelele lento: Umntu akaqalisi ukunika uMadiba intetho sifundo ngomhla wakho wokuzalwa, phofu nangayo nayiphi na imini. Usenokuba kanti uneminyaka wayishiya iofisi, kodwa akakelahli nenye yendlela ayiyo yokuphatha. Kodwa naxa kunjalo, ngesizathu esithile, usaqhubeka nokundibiza ‘mhlekazi’. Iminyaka, nani na xa ndimtsalela umnxeba, uthi, ‘Mhlekazi wam.

Unjani, mnumzana?’ Mna ke ndiphendule ngelithi ‘Ndingangu mhlekazi wakho njani?’ Ze aphendule ke yena athi ‘Nobhala-jikelele we UN. Uphethe ihlabathi’. Kakade, naye njengoba esazi, andizange ndiphathe hlabathi. Ngoku andiphethanga kwalo UN leyo. Kodwa usaqhubeka. Ndicinga ukuba uyandintlonta. Kodwa ke, wayesoloko enjalo. Uhlala uyibona oko kuncumo lwakhe luka blankethe. uNelson Mandela usenokuba lelona qhawe linobubele, liqhulayo, nelinentlonti lakhe labonwa lihlabathi. Ukwalilo nelona lomeleleyo.

Sonke siyazi ngobukroti bakhe nokuncekelela okwamenza waphila iminyaka engama 27 esiseleni waze wabona nomzantsi Afrika ugqitha kucalulo ngobuhlanga nexesha elinzima, kodwa eyotshintsho olwabayimpumelelo lwe nkululeko. Umhlaba uyibonile indlela abantu abakholelwa kuyo ngayo inkululeko, isidima sabantu, kunye nelungelo lomntu ngamnye ukuba afezekise amaphupha akhe.

Kwaye ekusebenzisaneni, ndibene thamsanqa ukubona indlela azimisele ngayo ukubona lomaphupha efezekiseka. Ndimbonile kwi ngxoxo ezinzima ezifana nezo zase Burundi, apho wayezama ukucenga amaqela asemfazweni ukuba abeke phantsi izikhalo benze uxolo. Xa ebona ukuba kwenzeka ntoni phambi kwakhe, wathi, ‘Nina madoda kufanele ninentloni ngokuba ngama Afrika.

Amazwi ahlabayo, asuka emntwini osenza sonke sizingce ukuba ngama Afrika. Yibanombono wamandla alomazwi. Okanye aninokubanawo. Yayingumzuzu omangazayo nonamandla. Kwaye lomagama awenza umsebenzi wawo. Kwindlela ezithile-imbono ezithile-uNelson Mandela akanaku gungqiswa. Ngethuba ixesha lakhe lokubangu Mongameli liphela, ngengoba nani nisazi, abantu abaninzi bazama ukumcenga ukuba aqhubeke njengo moongameli.

Kodwa wayezimisele ukushiya iofisi. Ngumzekelo omhle apho sikwi lizwekazi elinomongameli, apho abanye babo bangafuni ukushiya izihlalo. Babe behleli ezikhundleni iminyaka ngeminyaka. Zikhona ezinye iinkokheli ezifunde lukhulu nasemva kokuba u Mandela sele esishiyile isikhundla sobongamelo: Izifundo ezifana nokuba iqonga ayikokuphela kwendawo apho umntu angenze igalelo.

Translated by Zizipho Silwana

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