AAKASH BRAMDEO
The greatest among us are those who choose to transform negativity into something positive, and Nelson Mandela is a prime example of someone who did this. He transformed the negativity that was associated with apartheid into unity.
It is true that there were many times in the last 30 years of our democracy when it seemed as though the flame of unity was flickering. But it is also true that that flame never went out. In fact, every so often, it has burned brightly.
Last Saturday this flame was especially strong during the singing of the national anthem ahead of the Springboks taking on Ireland at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
The rendition by Keabetswe (KB) Motsilanyane must be one of the best yet. But she didn’t sing alone. She was accompanied by the 50 000-strong crowd from the start – a diverse nation singing in unison.
The highlight came during the last stanza when Motsilanyane stopped singing into the mike, extended her arms outward and let the crowd continue. And sing they did, belting out every word with passion.
But, to appreciate just how momentous a moment it was, you would have to go back more than 30 years.
Back then Nelson Mandela was the president, and much was changing as the country transitioned from apartheid to democracy.
When the country’s top athletes and sport administrators came together, they rejected the Springbok as the National Symbol and replaced it with the King Protea.
It was not surprising because, during the apartheid years, the Springbok came to represent white supremacy.
Rugby, however, fought for a combination of the King Protea and the Springbok and in Mandela, found an ally. His thoughts were captured in the 2009 movie, Invictus:
“Our enemy is no longer the Afrikaner. They are our fellow South Africans – our partners in democracy – and they treasure Springbok rugby. If we take that away, we lose them ...
“I know all of the things they denied us. But this is no time to celebrate petty revenge. This is our time to build our nation using every single brick available to us, even if that brick comes wrapped in green and gold.”
Mandela used rugby to build social cohesion, hence the world cup campaign slogan “One Team, One Country”.
It was not an easy sell. Mandela was even booed when he tried to get some sections of the population to accept the players as one of their own.
On the day of the 1995 final between South Africa and New Zealand, Mandela arrived at Ellis Park Stadium wearing the Springbok jersey. The mostly white crowd cheered: “Nelson, Nelson, Nelson.”
Francois Pienaar, the South African captain, later noted that when the final whistle blew, the country had forever changed. Black and white South Africans had celebrated the win together.
Much has changed since then.
Back in 1995, Chester Williams was the only black player in the team. Today, hardly anyone focuses on the racial composition of the team because transformation is no longer an issue.
The Springbok is no longer seen as a symbol that divides but rather one that unites. Furthermore, it has become a symbol of excellence in a country that all too often shuns merit.
Over the years, there have been some calls to drop the Springbok but with each passing year those calls not just become fewer, they have also become more muted.
As for the supporters, back in the day the mostly white crowd would stumble through the African stanzas of the anthem, and crescendo into the Afrikaans paragraph.
Today, South Africans of all colours watch rugby, and every word of the anthem is sung with gusto.
Gone are the old South African flags and the racial slurs that were once hurled at players and referees of colour.
What we see these days at rugby matches is just how much our country has changed.
It is something that is all too often missed in the hullabaloo of everyday life. But it takes a moment – like the one crafted by KB Motsilanyane – to remind us of how far we as a nation have come in the last 30 years.
Equally important is how much further we still must travel – not just to achieve social cohesion but also to reduce the levels of poverty and inequality in our country.
KB Motsilanyane, the 50 000 who sang with her, and the rest of South Africa have the responsibility to translate the words of our anthem into reality. It is a choice we must make.
As the Government of National Unity begins its work, each of us and in all we do, must choose whether we break or build – whether we want to be part of the problem or part of the solution.
Mandela often turned to the William Ernest Henley poem, Invictus, for inspiration and the closing lines of that poem are worth reflecting on:
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
Aakash Bramdeo is the Content Editor at eNCA
Sunday Tribune