{UAH} Lest we forget : Madiba, the myths, realities and the unfinished business......

As we conclude the occasion of celebrating exactly 100 years since the birth of the illustrious Nelson Mandela, I thought I would share a quick thought :

Mandela became the beacon that my brother president Barack Obama leads in praise, after being released from prison and, forgiving his tormentors. That process ONLY became possible after his release and, both sides being able to share the same table - one side perhaps, with humility.

Otherwise, before being committed to life imprisonment, he (with others), had been compelled to take up arms against the apartheid Boer regime because - they argued - it was a last resort and indeed, it was. They had no partners for peace.

In 1961, during his last trip to London and before being taking up residence in prison for 27 years, he met privately Dr. Milton Obote who was (with others), also in London for negotiations and preparations for independence of Uganda. At the meeting, among other things agreed, was a definitive promise that following independence and the likelihood of UPC forming (or being part of the next government), Uganda would provide various logistical support to the ANC including, unlimited number of passports which happened to have been the primary request from Mandela.

Dr. Obote not only honored that but ensured that an independent Uganda did not recognize 'apartheid' South Africa and, all passports were endorsed for travel to other countries EXCEPT South Africa.

Over a meal at his house in Central London in around 2002, Uganda's last official High Commissioner to London 1980-85, Ambassador Shafiq Arain (RIP) told me that Dr. Obote INSTRUCTED him that as long as he was High Commissioner and, South Africa was not yet liberated, ANC leaders were to have open-door-access to him and, accorded the HIGHEST and unlimited level of support at ALL times....Exiled senior leaders of the time, like Thabo Mbeki, referred.

That Israel and their parent allies the Brits and Americans supported Idi Amin's coup is of course no secret. What however is lost in the minds of Ugandans, Southern Africans including Zimbabweans & Namibians, other Africans and the rest of the free world is that one of the reasons for that support and the coup was Dr. Obote's active leadership (with Kaunda & Nyerere) for liberation struggles in Southern Africa and in particular, the fact that Obote was the head of the campaigns for mass walk-out from the British Commonwealth (in Singapore) unless Britain stopped arming the apartheid regime and, supporting of Ian Smith's UDI in Zimbabwe. They nearly sank the Commonwealth club over these matters....

If Madiba's legacy is to be of note, relevance and sustained, it is important that the world does not sink in hypocrisy by praising Mandela (the one out of prison and in death), while at the same time dining and breastfeeding dictators, some of whom in Africa today are worse than Idi Amin.

For this day though, may the exemplary spirits of Madiba, O.R. Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Winnie Mandela, Joe Slovo, Chris Hani, the Marikan victims and, those other multitudes including the little ones of Sharpeville reign high: It is possible, we just have to believe in better.

Ochieno

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