For over a week now, the social media has been flooded with tales and times of Mandiba, the strong man of Africa, the man under whose wings south Africa was liberated. The symbol of freedom for every enslaved man. The man that damned the west (or lets say negotiated with the west), and wont settle for less (or say, wont settle for anything less than the west offered). The Man known for everything and nothing, whose heroics is limited to his prison time, and I’m left wondering how did we get here?
[source](Yousuf Karsh)
We have experienced heroes who have contributed far more to our freedom than what Mandiba brings to the table. But how do we remember them? Do we even remember them at all? If memory serves me well, History tells of a fine young man, Patrice Émery Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the independent Democratic Republic of the Congo. Who would not bow to the pressure of the west. The West saw him as treat, partly because he was bold and largely because he was brilliant. He had a blueprint, and West didn’t want someone like that rule any country in Africa (out of fear of competition, or in clearer words dominance). The same was the fate of Obafemi Awolowo of Nigeria. It would take a conspiracy with the help of the people he was defending; to dethrone, lynch, and kill him. But he went down as a hero.
Awolowo was perhaps more popular, we know his story. Desmond Tutu is arguably more of a hero than Mandela would ever be, Mandela was the lucky survivor of the apartheid, and the powers that be loved his face. More importantly, they knew he had no blueprint hence, he wasn’t a threat.
I am not trying to undermine the figure that Mandela presents, he made his mark “he survived”. I could be wrong, I could have downplayed his contributions to the struggle. Please enlighten me if I had, we can use Desmond Tutu as a point of call, as using other high profile heroes can seem a onerous task. I believe that heroes like Patrice, Awo, Desmond, Jaja, and the rest, are the Mandela the world never talks about.
Let’s talk about them too.