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ssrmagazine.com
S
uccess
usually comes with
good leadership, and Nelson
Mandela and the South
Africa Football Association
(SAFA) deserves a lot of
credit for putting forward a
successful bid to host the
FIFA World Cup tournament
in such a short space of time.
It is a remarkable feat
considering that Mandela
was release from prison in
1990 and became South
Africa’s first black President
in 1994. Since that time only
four World Cups have been
staged.
The expeditious manner in
which Mandela campaigned to host the 2010 World Cup made its imminent success a reality in 2004. Again,
the Nobel Peace Prize winner had proven that he was arguably one of the most loved statesman.
We were taught that in life everything happens for a reason. Mandela’s 27 years in prison made him wiser
and more committed. Though he may not have had thoughts of revenge and/or bitterness in his heart when
he was released from prison, he returned to the outside world more committed in an effort to resolve the
complicated problems of South Africa’s Apartheid system.
Mandela always carried a charming smile or a hint of one which evidently made him a ladies man or a good
catch for the ladies. He was a real man amongst men, who never gave up the fight. His rationale for
compromise became the flagship by which Nelson “Madiba” Mandela built his legacy.
He negotiated his freedom as a concession for solving the racial unrest in South Africa and became the
President in South Africa’s first truly democratic election in 1994. It must be noted that his use of sports
(Rugby and Football) was an integral part of Mandela’s success in uniting a divided South Africa. He
removed the racial divide by forming a new
‘Rainbow Nation’.
Page 40
SSR Magazine
“FABRIC OF A REAL MAN”