Officially, he is His Excellency, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, a name that resonates on every South African’s lips.
He has become an icon, not just nationally, but internationally too, for being a man of truth, the nation’s turning point.
He is the kind of man that our parents strive to become.
Some say he was the hero, the man that made them who they are, because through him they were able to achieve their dreams or receive substantial education.
However, there are others who think it was not fair that he alone got the pedestal.
He was born into authority, into the Thembu royal family.
Others, like Mzwakhi Mbuli, died without being branded as a hero and never got the chance to be celebrated.
Nelson Mandela was never one to crave attention; he always took what came for him gracefully.
An intellectual and compassionate man like him can never be forgotten.
When a black person around my age sits in class and thinks of Nelson Mandela, they thank him for their ability to further their education.
A white person thanks Mandela for giving them the chance to show their true personalities, instead of having to be painted with the same brush.
In fact, the youth can thank him for lifting the glass that stood in front of our eyes, which forced us to see colour and not a person.
It is still difficult to get the adults to forget about what happened during apartheid.
They simply cannot just forget after watching their husbands and uncles get shot for sitting on the wrong bench.
It is as though Tata Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela did not want to be thanked with words and gifts; he just wanted the nation to flourish.
He wants to know that the youth have hands big enough to hold the nation and not let any of it seep through.
I feel that a man is a man because of what he has done for his nation and for his community.
Mandela cannot just be called a man; he is a father to the youth and their dreams.
