Going to the Mountain
Page 18
I thank God Almighty for allowing me to be able to work on this project over the past two years and having it come to fruition. I thank the Lord Almighty for giving me the best gift all, my greatest inspiration and motivation, my two beautiful children. Daddy is not perfect. I’ve made mistakes and disappointed you—probably not for the last time. Please, know that no matter what, your father loves you more than anything in this world. I’d like to thank Khomotso, the mother of my kids, for being a good mom and taking care of my precious little ones.
Thank you, Andile, for being there and just being a good, good brother, no matter what. Mbuso, I hope you read this book and learn something from it. No matter how many fights we go through, I’m still your older brother. Let’s just respect each other. After all, it’s all we got. Don’t get mad at me when I ask you about school or your kids, Mbuso. Know that I’m doing it for your best interest. We all need a little push to become better human beings in general. No one is perfect. Mandla, no man is an Island. Listen and take advice; it’s there to guide you to make better decisions. Our grandfather talked about forgiveness. There’s a lesson we can all learn from him and his life. Yes, we carry the name Mandela as the rightful heirs, but we are not the only Mandelas. With great power and influence comes great responsibility, brother. We have to empower and continue this great legacy we’ve inherited, and that means sharing it, just like our grandfather shared with his country, Africa, and the world at large.
Aunt Maki, thank you for being there for me. Do not tire; it’s a long road ahead. Love you, Mama Bear. Tukwini, my sister, where would I be without you and your protection? I know you’ve always got my back. Kweku, my brother, you already know, boy, we started this shit, we gonna continue this shit till the wheels come rolling off, and that means for life, my brother. Gada Gada, up and down we go, but together we shall go farther than we can ever imagine. If Grandma Winnie’s passing has taught us anything, it’s that we are male heads of this family. Remember what she told us about the apartheid museum? She was not only talking about that, but the country in general, my brother. To the rest of my family: I love all of you. We don’t always see eye to eye, but please, let’s support each other as much as we can. Slege Mistro the God, Dice Makgothi: Don’t be afraid of your destiny. You are more powerful than you think. You know I’ll do anything in my power to make sure you get there, and I believe you’re there for me to be able to reach that as well.
To my fellow South Africans: We have come a long way, but the struggle is not yet over. Now we fight for economic emancipation. Land is very much part of that rebuilding, but it goes hand in hand with equipping ourselves with the necessary skills. Owning the land alone will not turn the tide of this divided country and economy we have inherited. African brothers and sisters without unity and reigniting that solidarity, we shall never achieve our destiny, creating the independent, united, prosperous continent we know it ought to be. We are our own worst enemy. Divided we fall. Together we stand. To those in the greater diaspora: We need you like we need each other. Learn about your roots. Travel to your origin. Smile every time you see a fellow African. You never know where that might lead us. Greatness lies within all of us. That’s what Nelson Mandela taught me. Let us take our rightful place in this earth and remind the people of the world of our common humanity, the one destiny we share as human beings. Let go of your prejudice. This world does not revolve around you. Humanity cannot continue repeating the same mistakes. It is time we move forward as one people, and that can only be achieved if we work together as one.
Ndaba Mandela
Johannesburg, South Africa
2018
About the Author
Author/activist Ndaba Thembekile Zweliyajika Mandela is an outspoken influencer and change agent on the African continent and in the arena of international politics. He was born in South Africa in 1982 as his grandfather, Nelson Mandela, endured a third decade in prison on Robben Island. Ndaba spent his early childhood in the Transkei, Durban, and Johannesburg, surrounded by a vibrant extended family that included legendary African National Congress activists. Witnessing both the shocking abuses of apartheid and the complex struggle to end it, Ndaba was exposed early to radical ideals of democracy and resistance and developed a keen sense of political awareness beyond the tear gas and police raids on his neighborhood in Soweto.
In 1989, Ndaba met his grandfather for the first time at Victor Verster Prison. A few months later, Nelson Mandela was a free man, and in 1993, shortly before he was elected the first black president of a democratic South Africa, Mandela brought Ndaba to live with him, relishing the opportunity to be there for his grandchildren in a way he was not allowed to be there for his sons and daughters. Being raised by a legend had its challenges, but Ndaba navigated a rocky adolescence and majored in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Pretoria. He graduated in 2009 and began his career as a senior political consultant to the Embassy of Japan in South Africa and client liaison officer for an international asset management group.
Ndaba and his cousin Kweku Mandela are cofounders of Africa Rising, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to the shifting socioeconomic challenges faced by Africans of every color, creed, sexual orientation, and political persuasion. In its first ten years, Africa Rising launched projects and media campaigns taking on AIDS, youth unemployment, education, and other critical issues. One goal for the next ten years is to “build 100 Mandelas” through a leadership program designed around the principles and proactive strategies embodied by Nelson Mandela. Recently named one of BET’s “28 Men of Change,” Ndaba is passionate about developing Africa as a continent and nurturing a new breed of empowered young Africans throughout the world. He travels widely, speaking about progress, unity, and the Mandela Legacy. He spends his downtime hanging out with friends, keeping up with family, and raising his children with the same core belief his grandfather instilled in him: “Together, as one, we can accomplish anything.”
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