INVITED ARTICLE COMMEMORATING THE CENTENARY OF PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA: ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY ON JULY 17TH 2018 SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY GQM DOIDGE, AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA TO THAILAND, CAMBODIA, LAOS AND MYANMAR Reverend Brother Dr. Bancha Saenghiran, President Dr. Uree Cheasakul, Dean of the Martin de Tours School of Business and Economics Glen Chatelier, Director Office of International Affairs Distinguished Faculty members We are honoured to be invited to address Hymn God Bless Africa was banned during you on the eve of the centenary of Nelson apartheid. Mandela who was born on July 18th 1918. We invite you well in advance for next Twenty-one years ago, on the 17th July year’s celebration and we do hope that you 1997, a very significant event took place here will consider adding some songs recorded by in Bangkok, when Chulalongkorn University the late Miriam Makeba – Mama Africa, to bestowed an Honorary Doctorate on President your list, these are easy to learn and this could Mandela. be a significant tribute to Mama Africa. We Today I have been afforded the could arrange for you to have access to the opportunity to say thank you to Assumption CD’s and see where to assist you further. We University for always rendering the National could free up some time for you to do a Anthems of both countries at our Freedom performance in honour of President Nelson Day. Part of the current anthem that you sing, Mandela and Mama Africa. I will leave this Nkosi Sikelei iAfrika (meaning God Bless idea with you. Last but not least, thank you Africa) was composed by Enoch Sontonga in for singing happy birthday for me! 1897, as a hymn composed in Xhosa and the When South Africans travel abroad, and hymn tune was the work of Joseph Parry: the this has happened to me just recently in several melody is from the hymn tune Abe-ryst-wyth. high-level meetings, after introducing myself This anthem has five languages, Xhosa, Zulu, as the Ambassador of South Africa, the most Sesotho, Afrikaans and English. This is the likely response that I get is: “Nelson Mandela!” National Anthem of several African states. The The recognition of his struggle and sacrifice, ABAC Journal Vol.38 No.2 (July-December, 2018 pp 1-5) 1 for freedom, liberation and human rights, is a hope that you too will be inspired by the reminder of how the global community sees Mandela way, and we invite you to subscribe this great man. Mandela is globally to these noble values, to be the legacy, synonymous with the timeless humanist ideals whatever your future plans, or careers may of: truth, honour, justice, rights, equality, be. redistribution, fairness, forgiveness, tolerance I am reliably informed that you are in the and peace. Something sorely lacking in the midst of your Final Examinations for the body politic and leadership in modern times. undergraduate classes for the summer session Whilst these are the most traditional of of 2017/18, that being so, let me wish you values, they are also the most radical virtues every “Mandela” success. of the “good society” that we should all strive This then, is also an opportune time for for. Nelson Mandela, by contrast lived by the me to share with you some of the life lessons courage of his convictions. that you can draw on, from one of the most This year marks the centenary of the birth revered leaders in modern history, President of this remarkable leader, who established the Nelson Mandela. foundation stone on which to advance the In South Africa, before an important “good society” in South Africa, and through national sporting event takes place, the his influence, globally. We celebrate him by National Teams would pay President Mandela internalizing the values he stood for; we should a courtesy visit and he would wish them emulate the manner in which he lived and died. success, the media mischievously labelled this So many of us quote Mandela, but how many “Madiba Magic”, sometimes it worked and of us emulate his selfless leadership? others not. So, I will leave you with some of The 18th of July is Mandela International the Madiba Magic and wish you every success Day. In November 2009, the United Nations in the exams. declared the 18th of July, Mandela International Day, of which the decision was informed by If it works, ok, if not, do not call me! the 67 years that Nelson Mandela fought for social justice. We are all called upon across There are several significant legacy the globe to observe Mandela Day and to do initiatives that capture Mandela’s values and something extraordinary for 67 minutes. the ethics of this great leader of modern times. “Let’s be the legacy” and spend 67 minutes One of which has been launched here in every year doing something for others in his Thailand as recently as last year. The United honour. I am sure you have also heard of Nations revised the “Standard Minimum Rules Mandela’s prisoner number which is derived for the Treatment of Prisoners” which were from him being the 466th prisoner in the year first adopted in 1957 and later revised in 2015 1964, so it reads 466-64, or 46664 and is with South Africa taking a lead role in the used as a referential title for Nelson Mandela. revision process which started in 2010. This Mrs. Doidge and I are spending this time, revision was informed by Mandela’s our 67 minutes, with you and will share with experiences in prison and what he fought you some experiences of having served under against on behalf of fellow inmates. On the the most amazing President of all time. We do 17th December 2015, the United Nations 2 General Assembly adopted the revised rules witnessed a married couple demonstrate such and named these after President Nelson enormous courage to stand up for the human Mandela, “to honour the legacy of the late rights of all human kind knowing that they President of South Africa, who spent 27 could ultimately face the death penalty or be years in prison in the course of his struggle sentenced to life imprisonment. for global human rights, equality, They did not look the other way, rather democracy and the promotion of a culture they owned and led the struggle for the of peace” The rules ensure the inherent dignity freedom of the oppressed. One of the and health services for inmates, globally. Today principles of Mandela’s Leadership as written all prisons are required to adhere to the Nelson about by Richard Stengel: Mandela said Mandela Rules. “Courage is not the absence of fear” he I am pleased to say that last year, I spoke himself admitted there were times when he was at an event here in Thailand, to mark the afraid but he would not succumb or allow implementation of these rules in Thailand. himself to be complacent in the face of Mandela, in his vision for a new South adversity and continuing oppression of the Africa, two years before he became President majority of South Africans. Instead Mandela of South Africa, appointed, Judge Mervyn did the opposite, an example is his statement King, to commence work, to formulate a new from the dock. code of corporate governance for “During my lifetime I have dedicated transforming the South African private myself to this struggle of the African people. sector. Today we have the well-known, King I have fought against white domination, Reports (King I, II, III) King III, deals with and I have fought against black environmental governance. This work domination. I have cherished the ideal of a continues long after Mandela’s passing. These democratic and free society in which all are the Mandela values and vision for Good persons live together in harmony and with Corporate Governance that he fought for and equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I stood for. These have been accepted globally hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs and are now being practiced in multinationals be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to across the globe. die.” Archbishop Desmond Tutu1, described Mandela was a leader of principle and Nelson Mandela as: “A colossus of courage, he was prepared to pay the ultimate unimpeachable moral character”. price for what he believed in. The Archbishop stated that “never before On the other hand, Mrs. Winnie Mdikizela has one human being so universally Mandela, was 36 years old when she was acknowledged in his lifetime as the jailed in solitary confinement for 491 days in a embodiment of magnanimity and reconciliation cell that was so small that it was unfit for human as Nelson Mandela was”. occupation. Today an exact replica of this cell This year we sadly witnessed the passing is on display at the apartheid museum in of Mrs Winnie Madikizela Mandela. Both Johannesburg. Mrs Mandela, released a book President Mandela and Mrs Winnie Mandela based on her experiences in prison and the stand out in our history. Never have we indignity and inhumane treatment she endured, 3 which nearly cost her life. The only crime she electrifying moment in the 1995 rugby World committed was that she was the wife of Nelson Cup final when he stepped out on the Ellis Mandela, she too persevered and was Park pitch with Captain Francois Pienaar’s released. No. 6 on the Springbok jersey he was When President Mandela, also known by wearing? (Rugby was seen by the majority as his clan name Madiba, was released he had the sport of the oppressor) It was a gesture the wisdom and capacity to set aside the that did more for nation building and bitterness of enduring 27 years in a brutal reconciliation than any number of preacher’s apartheid prison and the weight of centuries sermons or politician’s speeches.