BLOGGING THE VIEW: 15 fascinating facts in honour of Mandela Day

This Friday marks the 16th official Mandela Day, celebrated annually on the anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birthday on 18 July. Established by the United Nations, the day calls for everyone around the world to contribute 67 minutes of their day towards a good cause – commemorating the 67 years of public service Madiba gave to the world.

To get in the spirit of things, here are 15 facts about the great Nelson Mandela as we all strive to embody his compassion and dedication to social upliftment and equality.

1. What’s in a name?

Nelson Mandela was actually named Rolihlahla when born in 1918, his Xhosa name, which means ‘pulling the branch of a tree’ or more loosely, ‘troublemaker’. The name Nelson was given to him on his first day of school by a teacher who couldn’t pronounce his real name.

2. A royal upbringing

Mandela was born into the Madiba clan of the Xhosa people and was part of the Thembu royal family. His father was a local chief, and after his father’s death, Mandela was groomed by a tribal regent to one day take on a leadership role.

3. Law background

In 1953, Mandela and his good friend Oliver Tambo co-founded Mandela & Tambo, the country’s first black-owned law firm. They provided legal counsel to black South Africans facing unjust apartheid laws.

4. Law behind bars

Even in prison, Mandela’s thirst for knowledge never faded. While serving his sentence, he earned a Bachelor of Law degree through the University of London’s correspondence programme.

5. An athlete

Mandela had a lifelong love for boxing and was also a keen long-distance runner. He trained as an amateur heavyweight and sparred with professional fighters, including Jerry Moloi, a contender for the South African lightweight champion.

6. The guerrilla fighter

Although he believed in peace, Mandela also believed armed struggle was a necessary response to apartheid oppression. He received military training in Algeria and Ethiopia, but never fired a weapon in combat.

7. Master of disguise

Known as the ‘Black Pimpernel’ during the early 1960s, Mandela evaded authorities through clever disguises, often posing as a chauffeur, gardener, and night worker while co-ordinating underground resistance efforts.

8. US terror watch list

Despite being a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Mandela and the ANC remained on the US terror watch list until 2008, due to their earlier armed resistance against apartheid.

9. A Spike Lee actor

In 1992, Mandela appeared in the final scene of Malcolm X, playing a Soweto schoolteacher. However, he wouldn’t say Malcolm’s phrase ‘…by any means necessary’ so Spike Lee cut to original footage of Malcolm X instead.

10. For the birds

Australopicus nelsonmandelai is an extinct woodpecker species that was named in Mandela’s honour. There’s also a subatomic particle, the ‘Mandela particle’, named after him by physicists at Leeds University.

11. First Lady love

Mandela’s third wife, Graça Machel, had previously been married to Mozambique’s first president, Samora Machel, making her the only woman in history to be First Lady of two countries.

12. His favourite meal

Despite dining with royalty and presidents, Mandela remained grounded in his roots. He loved simple, traditional meals, especially tripe, a dish still widely enjoyed in many South African households.

13. Love for poetry

While imprisoned on Robben Island, Mandela often recited Invictus by William Ernest Henley to fellow inmates. Its iconic closing lines ‘I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul’ became a source of strength for him and inspiration for the movie of the same name.

14. Global fight for justice

In 1993, Mandela reached out to Doreen and Neville Lawrence after the racially motivated murder of their son, Stephen, in London. His words lent global attention to the injustice, saying, “It seems black lives are cheap.”

15. Parliament Square

In 2007, a bronze statue of Mandela was unveiled in London’s Parliament Square, making him the only black person commemorated among British political figures like Churchill and Disraeli.

How to Celebrate Mandela Day

Mandela Day is all about action, and here are some ways you can contribute your 67 minutes this Friday. This Friday, head to the Zululand Observer office at 3 Baines Road, Empangeni to donate any good quality, clean clothing for a good cause. All donated goods will be hung on washing lines on the front lawn before being handed out to the many families in need.

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

SOURCES: www.blackhistorystudies.com | www.cnn.com | www.borgenproject.org

Don’t have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here:

HAVE YOUR SAY