While the first spark of wanting to become a leader and being involved came from Nelson Mandela’s early observations of a village meeting, it seems that his time in Robben Island were the more formative years of his leadership skills. Before that his role was that of a prominent Africa National Congress member and a representative. He says it himself that at Robben Island his diplomatic/ lawyers skills and articulate language often were the reasons behind inmates choosing him as a medium for their concerns. Mandela was hardly a rabble-rouser and rarely lost his temper. A calm demeanor and a polite attitude he seemed to believe were key to getting things done, but that did not mean that strikes and boycotts were out of the questions. Even though he was not a complete believer of Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence strategy, he was not a supporter of violence that harmed people and preferred sabotage. In the later years of his imprisonment Mandela encountered young radicals who believed his manner was too soft and moderate. But during most incidents, he was chosen as the spokesperson, thus harnessing his negotiation skills. Globally, Mandela today is one of the most loved figures and it seems his personality is such that one can take an instant liking to him. At one point he states that he is able to get along and befriend people comfortably. This might have helped during any round of negotiations he has had to deal with. While in Pollsmoor Prison, Mandela decided to talk with government officials without consulting the main ANC committee and in secret. It seems that this quality of taking risks and making decisions that might jeopardize his reputation and position is what he deems important. To “move out ahead of the flock” and go off another tangent for the betterment of the group can either lead to being celebrated or condemned. But Mandela does agree that keeping the masses informed and engaged of occurrences is vital to gain their trust. Towards the end of the novel he talks about twin obligations a person has; to their family and to their country. But in South Africa during apartheid Mandela said it was almost impossible for a man of his background to ignore the needs of his nation. That ability to sacrifice one’s family and personal life no matter how much criticism a person may come under seems to be what he values. Mandela seems aware of the consequences and has made his peace with it. It is all a part of his thinking as a group and not as individuals to fight oppression.
Mandela described himself as being born free but politicized his entire life. He said there was no particular time when he suddenly decided to become a freedom fighter and combat racism. It was a more gradual process. However one can trace his realization to when he came to live in Alexandra Township and work at the law firm in Johannesburg that he really began to experience the oppressive conditions that black South Africans faced. But his attitude is not that of anti-white or anti-Indian or anti-Colored but inclusive of all races. It was while he was studying at Witwatersrand that his mind opened up to different political beliefs and ideas, something he says would not have happened back in Transkei. Mandela’s attitude was not that to only uplift the black community and blame one particular race for the situation but the system and the government behind it. Even during his speech when he was released he reiterated constantly that white South Africans were as much a part of the country as everyone else and would not be driven to the sea. It was a matter of miscommunication and assumptions that were encouraged by the government. With the understanding of the situation Mandela did his best to educate people and spread awareness even when he was in Robben Island by talking about the aims of the ANC to the warders. In prison he became very conscious about interacting with prisoners of different backgrounds. Most of his speeches were directed to no particular race and chastised the National Party government and system for purporting racial conflict. Even during the negotiation process he tried to reason with other parties that felt threatened. I think his associations and acquaintances with ANC members of diverse backgrounds like Chief Albert Luthuli, Bram Fischer and Ahmed Kathrada and even outside the party like Robert Sobukwe were proof his all-encompassing vision for South Africa. In many ways the ANC’s eventual ascent to power with its somewhat diverse member base may have been a factor behind why the country is today quite rich in ethnicities and communities.
