Kweku Mandela talks 'pressure' in carrying on grandfather's legacy
theGRIO REPORT - While Nelson Mandela's grandson Kweku see his grandfather's legacy as an honor, he also admitted that he and others in the family feel the weight and the pressure it leaves upon their shoulders...
During a video interview with theGrio, the sisters said they did not ask their grandfather for permission to do the show but said they understand that they are a reflection of his legacy and they take pride in their name.
“No we didn’t have to ask him. I mean our grandfather is 95. So we don’t actually go an ask him things like this,” Zaziwe told theGrio. “But the Mandela name is our name as well. So he entrusts us to do well by the name to respect the name to treat it with integrity and to produce something that he can be proud of.”
“So we just know that he supports us in everything that we do and we take pride in our name, so we would never do anything to tarnish the name in any way,” she added.
In addition, both Zaziwe and Swati have collaborated with their two brothers to launch a clothing line dubbed Long Walk to Freedom – which is also the name of Mandela’s autobiography and upcoming film based on his life, starring Idris Elba.
“Besides envisioning this commercial creative endeavor as a pure expression of honoring the retrospect of Madiba’s work, part of the line’s vision is to demonstrate extraordinary value in ensuring diversity and inspiration, providing platforms for future generations to take empowering actions to grow up in a safe society with balanced standards and opportunities,” the clothing line’s site reads.
All of these endeavors reflect the admirable qualities of the family’s iconic leader and the pride they hold in being a Mandela.
Presidents share similarities
Mandela gained fame and recognition due to a variety of significant reasons – but one of his greatest feats was being elected as South Africa’s first black president.
Because of this, Kweku said he sees many similarities between his grandfather and President Barack Obama.
He said that the two leaders are more than just the first black presidents of their respective nations, but monumental figures in history who fundamentally changed the world for the better.
“They’re both inspirational leaders,” he said. “My granddad has always been a big supporter of Barack Obama, he knows he has an extremely tough job — but he’s excited to see what he’s doing in his second term.”
‘Any individual can make a difference’
Beyond being a fan of film, Kweku has also launched a social network called Mandela.is. – which, according to the site, is “a community working to inspire each of us to step forward and make a positive difference in the world.”
According to Forbes, over 20,000 users signed up on the site within the first three days of their soft launch.
Kweku — along with his brother Ndaba – created the site in tribute to their grandfather’s work and to highlight the lessons they learned from him. The site also allows users to connect based on their interests to make a positive difference in the world.
“It’s a social network for communities to use this platform to find out how to connect with organizations and those who want to unite around a cause and make a positive change,” he said.
“My granddad was a little country boy who became the first black president of South Africa,” he said. “He proved that any individual, regardless of their background, can make a difference.”
Through it all, Kweku said he and his family members are doing all they can to carry on Mandela’s legacy – but ultimately, people’s perception of Mandela or their memories of his contributions to society are beyond their control.
Instead, he said: “Only time will tell how he goes down in history.”
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