Both Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe rose to power at the same time. They were both imprisoned for their strong anti colonialist stunt. Yet Nelson Mandela is more revered by the international media, why?
Robert Mugabe was one of the world's most educated leaders. He had seven degrees, most notably from Scotland. He was even knighted by the queen. Yet the day his troubles began is the day he chose to forcibly transfer land from the whites to blacks. Economc sanctions followed. The economy collapsed. Africa's cleanest city, Harare, started becoming dirty. When asked when he would retire, he said he would only do so once the queen of England retired.
One wishes that Robert Mugabe had followed up on his ideals. For instance, he always sought medical treatment abroad, in Singapore, he even died there. One wishes he would have enhanced his Pan African credentials and improved the public health system of Zimbabwe and not run away to Asia for his treatment.
Nelson Mandela meanwhile was a staunch anti Communist before he went to Prison. He advocated that all wealth, including land, be transferred to black South Africans. However, after he came from prison, he was a changed man. He advocated for a rainbow nation in which black and white South Africans would coexist peacefully. For this he was eulogised by the world media, and treated as an international statesman. But otherwise, his compromise of a rainbow nation put black South Africans at a disadvantage. Although blacks constitute 80 percent of the population, they own just 5 percent of the wealth and 10 percent of the land. Julius Malema pounced on this poor situation and formed the Economic Freedom Party to advance economic interests of black South Africans, especially land.
So, who between Mugabe and Mandela should Africa emulate?
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