Andrew Doyle T.D. said that the passing of Nelson Mandela is a sad day for his family and all who loved and admired him.
His witness to the real world of suffering, discrimination and abuse for black people of South Africa inspired freedom fighters all over the world, including Ireland. When he was 44 years old, he was arrested by the white South African government and did not emerge from prison until he was 71. He managed to let go of all the bitterness of his lost years with his family and his career as a lawyer defending human rights.
As well as the shattering effects of apartheid on the black people, Mandela understood the impact of hatred that was at the core of apartheid, on the hearts of the rulers of South Africa. He said ‘When I came out of prison, that was my mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor, both’.
During his long years in prison, he became a productive gardener, supplying the prison kitchens with fresh vegetables in his later years and cultivating his renowned patience. He said that the path of freedom needs patience: “ To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
He believed in the value of education and making the best of our talents: “Education is the great engine of personal development.. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given that separates one person from another.”
But especially, Mandela believed in the young people. He said “sometimes it falls to a generation to be great. You can be that generation; let your greatness blossom.”
Andrew Doyle said “ I have always admired Nelson Mandela –there are very few people who have had such a profound impact on other people from every country in the world. The challenge is not just to pay homage to him today, but to be inspired to act as he did, every day.”