Little More Than Willing Tools

Across the top of Mick Hume's very Hard Left site, it currently reads: "Mandela not only made history, he made others from David Cameron to Elton John rewrite their own."

Remember that, as you read this entirely representative example of the critique that has been advanced for many years.

One may disagree with aspects of the following, but the problems identified here are the real ones. The very last thing wrong with South Africa or with the ANC is "Communism":

Now the media generated brouhaha is beginning to die down it is worth looking back at his life.

Some harsh questions need to be asked about how the leadership of the movement which he led for decades, descended into graft and corruption, to become little more than willing tools of the world's multinational corporations and their political front men and women.

There has been a great deal of rubbish written about Nelson Mandela in recent days, including by some who should have known better.

We have been showered with PR powder puff versions of his life, in many ways the ANC's funeral arrangements typified this mainstream media guff, and are a disgraceful spectacle culminating with him lying in state in a glass topped coffin as if he were some sort of religious deity, or great helmsman.

For me the photo above, issued by the ANC in April, sums up the tragedy of Mandela's later life and death. 

In it Mandela is propped up in a goulash way, his head held upright by a strategically placed pillow, with his left arm laying lifeless, whilst Jacob Zuma, Cyril Ramaphosa and Baleka Mbete, look at the camera with rictus grins. One can almost hear Zuma growl, one last photo-opp Madiba for the good of the party. Whether Mandela heard him is another matter as he looks comatose.

If they truly had his best interest at heart they would have chased the money lenders out of the temple, and buried him in a plain wooded coffin in a simply ceremony alongside comrades who gave their lives for the struggle he once led.

Instead he will get a mockney Ruritanian funeral, attended by the world's so called great and good, reactionary politicians, royalty, silly celebrities, mining magnates, media moguls, and business people on the make.

Most of whom will be trading phone numbers throughout the ceremony, after all what better time to do 'business' than at the funeral of a man who was not adverse to doing a bit of business himself? It's said few of the millionaires, CEOs and celebrities who were invited to dine at his table left without making a hefty 'donation' to his 'foundation.'

At the fore of the mourners will be Jacob Zuma, the current President of South Africa and leader of the ANC, an organisation whose leadership is said to be corrupt to the core.

It is worth asking this simply question, how did men like Zuma, who sacrificed much of their youth in the struggle to end apartheid become a corrupt elite, who order, or turn a blind eye to the shooting down of striking workers?

How have men and women who fought for the Freedom Charter and all it stood for, become the pliable tools and beneficiaries of international capitalism?

There is only one truthful answer to this question, and as harsh a judgement as it may be, that answer is Nelson Mandela, on leaving jail he set the template for making money on the side and luxury living. 

Have I lost all reason, some might say? Did not the great Edward Said write this about Mandela:

"I should like to remind my readers that Nelson Mandela, whose organization had been completely defeated by the South African regime, whose colleagues were either in exile or killed, and who himself was a state security prisoner for twenty seven years, never compromised on the truth of his struggle, which was to hold out without change in the original political goal of one person one vote."

Yes at one time this was true; but surely it cannot be an accident leading members of the ANC, the Zuma's, Ramaphosa's and Baleka Mbete's took the low road after the ANC came to power. It cannot be a cruel quirk of fate three generations of Mandela's own family took the same road. 

If any lessons are to be learnt from the life of Mandela we have to recognise the fact that a man who throughout his 27 years of unjust imprisonment showed great courage and fortitude, who emerged into freedom with the SA people and much of the world's hopes on his shoulders. Can also be groomed by his enemies into betraying much of what he once believed in.

The tragedy of Nelson Mandela is he got to close to his foes, when in the years before his release South African Intel advised if he were to be released he must be first be separated from his comrades on Robben Island, they, and whoever they liaised with overseas, must have known they had their man.

Below is one of the better articles to be published since Mandela's death, written by Patrick Bond who portrays Madiba as a courageous man, who sadly when it mattered most turned out to have feet of clay.

The very charisma which made him a great leader during the years of struggle, were turned against him and those whose struggle he once led.

Bond's article to too long to reproduce here. But do read it on Mick's site.