The Interview

1.) Did you ever meet or see Nelson Mandela in person? If so, what was he like in person?

No, I’ve never had the pleasure. However, I was in Zimbabwe when Mandela was released from prison in South Africa. You may know that after his release Mandela toured neighboring states and thanked peoples in the region for their support of him throughout his years of imprisonment. Shortly after his release, Mandela visited Harare, Zimbabwe and spoke at the national stadium, and that’s where I saw him. It was thrilling!

2.) How were you, as a scholar of African history, influenced by Nelson Mandela? Have you viewed him as an inspiration?

Most certainly, I have. There can be no doubt that Nelson Mandela is one of the great figures of the 20^th century.

3.) How do South Africans today view Nelson Mandela?

Very favorably. Mandela was a crucial to the transition from Apartheid South Africa to a democratic, more inclusive nation.

4.) Have you read his books? What do you think of him as an author? How has his writing career influenced his reputation around the world?

Yes, I read his autobiography. His autobiography has a very interesting history. He first started his autobiography while imprisoned on Robben Island. He hid his manuscript in the grass area near the cells. Unfortunately, the prison guards found and destroyed the manuscript. He wrote a second draft that a fellow prisoner smuggled off the island upon his release. The autobiography we read today is a mix of those renderings as well as the help of a professional writer.

5.) I understand you have studied South African history quite a lot. Was South Africa’s struggle with apartheid something that drew you to study South African history? If so, why?

Yes. I was in High School and college during one of the most tumultuous periods of South African history, and certainly the most critical phase of the contemporary struggle. Learning about South Africa and its peoples’ struggles against prejudice has deeply informed me as a person and a scholar.

6.) How did Nelson Mandela and the ANC differ as freedom fighters from other liberation movements taking place in other African countries? Do you feel that Mandela’s leadership played a major role in the ANC’s success? If so, in what way?

This is a very difficult question! You may know that Mandela studied armed struggles and traveled to guerilla training camps before he was arrested in South Africa and subsequently sentenced to life in prison. The struggle in South Africa was unlike other 20^th century liberation in that it was primarily an urban struggle. As an industrialized country, South Africa produced highly organized workers, who were able to form unions. Schoolchildren, as well, were organized and protested against poor schools. On June 16, 1976 schoolchildren in SOWETO township outside of Johannesburg organized a march against their Apartheid schooling. The South African police shot at the students, killing several. The protests spread rapidly and soon schoolchildren across South Africa were on strike. By no means was the struggle over, however. It took another 18 years before Nelson Mandela became president. Those were years of sorrow and suffering, so you can imagine the joy of peoples when Nelson Mandela became their leader in April 1994.

7.) How did his leadership role in South Africa change when he went from freedom fighter to President?

This is another very good question! In his autobiography, Mandela writes about how he negotiated with the Apartheid authorities, as early as the late 1980s! By his own account, Mandela says that he had to break away from some of his comrades and their dedication to the struggle. Mandela believed that compromise and negotiation was the way to peace and a democratic South Africa. Mandela saw that an armed struggle against the Apartheid government would be long, bloody, and ultimately result in a military stalemate. His decision to negotiate was audacious, courageous, and, many believe, the correct decision to make.

8.) Do you think Nelson Mandela is a hero, and why? What heroic character traits do you see in him?

I absolutely do. Throughout his life, Mandela has displayed a respect for people and their ideas. His personal nobility informs everything he does, and made compromise and negotiation possible.

9.) I understand that Nelson Mandela has remained politically active after retirement. What causes is he currently involved with?

Mandela has a children’s foundation, has mediated disputes in various African countries, and supports AIDs research and prevention.

10.) Is there anything else you’d like to share about Nelson Mandela? Any interesting stories or information?

As a young man, Mandela boxed! He was a dapper dresser, and a ladies man! As a young man, he ran away to Johannesburg but was returned to his home soon afterwards. You might also know that Mandela was kind even to the people who served as his jailers. His very last place of imprisonment was near Cape Town (he was imprisoned on Robben Island, Cape Town, and this last prison) was a bungalow where he met with state functionaries, leaders and government officials. Mandela also insisted on making his own bed! You might also know that Mandela has been married three times – the first time when he was a young man in Johannesburg, the second with Winnie Mandela (who he divorced in the 1990s), and now to Gracia Machel (the widow of the former Mozambican President).

In sum, Mandela is an immensely human public figure—full of the flaws we all have. What sets him apart, I think, is his optimism and his unflagging, tireless battle against oppression wherever he finds it, often with great personal loss. He is a great man.