KB Asante: Voice From Afar column
Let us now praise great and famous men
William Tarrant, in his wisdom, beckoned us to praise the brave and strong, the wise and graceful who helped the right and fought the wrong, and made our folk a nation. Nelson Mandela was the man who, in spite of great odds, made South Africa one nation and saved the world from a long, bloody conflict at the prosperous tail end of Africa. Mandela has truly earned the title of greatness.
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It is futile to compare his greatness with other leaders in history. Historians may, of course, compare and assess his impact on life with those of other great men and women. But it is unfortunate for a Ghanaian leader to describe Mandela as the greatest African when Nkrumah had been dubbed with that title not long ago. It is only natural to compare achievements but we should know what we compare. I do not disagree with President Obama when he said that “Mandela is a giant of history!!” His eulogy at the celebration of Mandela’s life at Soweto was well-crafted. He spoke for the western world that were well-pleased with the outcome of events when Mandela became President.
I did not expect South Africa to be free with a black president in my life time. I therefore followed the progress of the ANC administration led by Nelson Mandela with keen interest. Mandela was a great leader. He contained the fears of the white and laid the foundations of progress for the black majority.
To understand what happened and appreciate what Mandela did, you have to be conversant with events before and after Sharperville. You have to be conversant with developments leading to the release of Mandela from prison and negotiations with the apartheid regime led by F.W. de Klerk. Being aware of the concern and activities of the British and American governments is crucial to a full understanding.
Kwesi Pratt gave an excellent account of these events in a commentary on Radio Gold on December 7 and articles by Cameron Duodu on the subject in The Times are revealing. Professor Akosa showed understanding of the subject in an interview on Radio XYZ. We should stop the futile discussion about the greatness of Mandela compared with Nkrumah and others and concentrate on what we can learn from recent events and whether formal democracy is an end in itself.
It has been clear for a long time that Ghana’s Bureau of African Affairs and foreign intelligence generally failed to fully understand and appreciate the South African situation. Ghana supported the Pan-African Congress (PAC) and ignored the ANC. Mandela was refused audience with President Nkrumah even when evidence showed that Mandela had turned a Freedom Fighter. Do we still make such mistakes because of the incompetence of “experts”? Is our intelligence set-up appropriate and competent?
The Americans made mistakes as we did. They would not even allow Mandela automatic access to their country even when he was President because he belonged to a terrorist organisation, but they allowed him in with the necessary courtesies. The American Secretary of State specially allowed him to enter the country until the offending bill was expunged from the statutes. Meanwhile, policy and attitudes changed with developments which were welcome and Mandela responded appropriately.
And what did Ghana do in similar circumstances? Were the various administrations aware of the faux pas committed when Mandela was denied access to Nkrumah? And what is the assessment of the situation in South Africa today? There is a black President but is there any great change in the lives of most of the blacks who suffered oppression and hunger under apartheid? Can democracy bring real freedom and dignity if it only means the right to appoint the ruling elite once every four years? The democratic process must, however, be established to enable the people to fashion their future. What Mandela did was to give the opportunity to the people of South Africa to determine their own future. We in Ghana have had that opportunity to fashion our future for over 50 years. And what have we achieved? A great deal, but not much. Even a great leader cannot do everything for the people.
Mandela has shown that he was wise in not completely dismantling all institutions when he took over. Today, thanks to these and the existing structures, South Africa has expanded her economic horizon and exports the handiwork of her people to other African countries including Ghana. And what do we export to South Africa? Are our young men and women in employment to produce the goods for local consumption and export so as to enhance living standards?
Obama has made a mark as a giant of history. Let us to whom so much has been bequeathed make Kwame Nkrumah the greatest African in contemporary history by making Ghana a free, self-sufficient country of equal and abundant opportunity.
