Fare Thee Well, Madiba

Africa and the world was hit with the sad news of the passing of one of the world's most revered and illustrious sons. he whole world was filled with so much grief and sorrow as the news started to spread. Many people thought this was one of the usual hoaxes that the media used to peddle so as to increase their customer base.

But this time the news was true and within some few minutes of Nelson Mandela's passing, the tributes started pouring in. The social media sites such as facebook, twitter, google plus, linkedin etc etc have been awash with tributes from all corners of the earth. These tributes were coming from world leaders, politicians and the ordinary men and women on the streets from Accra to Cape Town and from Moscow to Tehran, etc etc. 

Nelson Mandela indeed lived a life of forgiveness, reconciliation and in fact he had forgiveness in his blood. He had to endure torture and humiliation from his captors who did all things possible in their powers to break him down, but Madiba never broke down and also never gave up.

Nelson Mandela was incarcerated on Robben Island for 18 of his 27 years in prison. During this time, he contracted tuberculosis and, as a black political prisoner, received the lowest level of treatment from prison workers. However, while incarcerated, Mandela was able to earn a Bachelor of Law degree through a University of London correspondence program.

A 1981 memoir by South African intelligence agent Gordon Winter described a plot by the South African government to arrange for Mandela's escape so as to shoot him during the recapture; the plot was foiled by British intelligence. Mandela continued to be such a potent symbol of black resistance that a coordinated international campaign for his release was launched, and this international groundswell of support exemplified the power and esteem that Mandela had in the global political community.

In 1982, Mandela and other ANC leaders were moved to Pollsmoor Prison, allegedly to enable contact between them and the South African government. In 1985, President P. W. Botha offered Mandela's release in exchange for renouncing armed struggle; the prisoner flatly rejected the offer. With increasing local and international pressure for his release, the government participated in several talks with Mandela over the ensuing years, but no deal was made. It wasn't until Botha suffered a stroke and was replaced by Frederik Willem de Klerk that Mandela's release was finally announced—on February 11, 1990. De Klerk also unbanned the ANC, removed restrictions on political groups and suspended executions.

This is the man we are all celebrating and not mourning for Madiba has lived a well fulfilled life. Will our African leaders be ready and willing to live by the ideals of this great man? Posterity will judge us all if we dont honor this great man by emulating his examples and walking in his footsteps. Madiba fare thee well and may our ancestors  give you a rousing welcome as you join them, and may God Almighty grant you a resting place in His bosom. The lion of Africa sleeps tonight, God bless Africa.

Law Of Karma At Work?

Almost exactly a year ago in 2011, the Libyan Leader Muammar Qaddafi was brutally murdered by a combined force of NATO and the Benghazi rebels. Many people also lost their lives in during those sad and shameful periods in the history of Libya. Here was someone who was providing virtually everything for his people, then all of a sudden, a group of former Taliban fighters whose freedom he secured from the Americans from the Guantanamo Bay Prison, with a condition that he would make sure they do not engage in any form of terrorist activities. These former Taliban fighter were Libyans and they numbered about two hundred.He then resettled them in the city of Benghazi and made them comfortable. Due to their programming at the Guantanamo Bay Prison, the time was ripe for them to initiate their plans for the overthrow of Qaddafi in 2011. How the rebellion started and the subsequent incidents are now confined to the yet to be written chapters on Libyan and African history. Fast forward to the year 2012, Qaddafi's loyalists were just waiting for their time to punish the perpetrators of the heinous atrocity committed on Libyan soil.Someone makes a short film entitled "Innocence of Muslims" which demeans the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), then the trouble begins in the Arab world starting first with a protest in Cairo, Egypt, then Benghazi. In these two cities, the American Consulate in Benghazi was attacked and the Ambassador and three of his staff were killed. The American Embassy in Cairo was also attacked resulting in the removal of the American flag and some minor casualties. Most western powers condemned both the film and the attacks on the American Diplomatic Missions in the Arab world. Then just a few days ago, Omar Shaaban, the man credited with finding Qaddafi in the sewer was also kidnapped, tortured and murdered by Qaddafi loyalists. Libya has not known peace ever since the overthrow and death of Qaddafi. During Qaddafi's rule, not a single Embassy or Consulate was attacked. Now they are blaming the attacks on Al Qaeda. Coming events truly cast their shadows. I think its payback time and they have sent out a clear statement to all those who condoned and connived to murder Qaddafi that, no matter how long it takes, wherever they hide, their time would surely come and would also face the same music. The US should try and give her diplomacy around the world a new face. These are just the thoughts of an ordinary blogger somewhere on the surface of the earth..