Today marks 49 years since Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison – a penalty he faced after he was convicted on charges of treason and sabotage in attempt to overthrow the apartheid government of South Africa.
After spending 27 years in jail, Mandela was finally released but remained committed to his goal of ending state-sanctioned segregation.
Four years later, in 1994, he emerged as South Africa’s first black president.
Mandela’s involvement in the anti-apartheid movement catapulted him to worldwide fame as one of the country’s greatest leaders and later a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Now, at 94 years old, Mandela is battling a recurring lung infection that has left him in and out of hospitalization.
While the latest news reports suggest he is “responding better to treatment,” his illness has raised concerns about who will carry on his legacy.
A Mandela tribute in Times Square
During a phone interview just over a month ago with Mandela’s grandson Kweku, theGrio talked to the aspiring filmmaker about a special video tribute to his grandfather he helped organize in New York City’s Times Square.
It took over two years to put the project together and the final product resulted in a dazzling display as short videos burst onto the big screens in the legendary section of the Big Apple. The quick clips included words from some of Mandela’s inspiring speeches over the years.
“We wanted to create captivating visuals so we made a glowing chart of words that represented some of the things my granddad experienced throughout his life from being a political prisoner to becoming the first democratically-elected president of South Africa,” Kweku told theGrio.
“It has been a strong intention to find a new way to connect younger generations with my grandfather’s legacy,” he added.
Kweku said he uses his interest in film and video to create projects that highlight and retell his grandfather’s achievements and the lessons he has learned from them.
“He said that he wants [his family] to carry on the legacy,” Kweku said. “It’s very strong and motivating for me and my family.”
The pressure to carry on Mandela’s legacy
It is clear that Mandela’s legacy is a lifetime of monumental feats that brought him global recognition for his unfaltering ambition to rid his country of oppression.
And while Kweku sees this as an honor, he also admitted that he and others in the family feel the weight of Mandela’s legacy and the pressure it leaves upon their shoulders.
“There’s a certain amount of pressure on us all,” he said. “We are all tied to his legacy and he spent a large time of his life overcoming hypocrisy.”
Still, Kweku remained confident in his endeavors to carry out this mission and made it clear that he is not doing it alone.
Family bands together to spread awareness
Instead, he says it is a family effort and many members of the clan are using their own special talents and interests to add to the coverage of Mandela and the role he holds in history.
For example, Kweku said two of his cousins helped curate a show that highlighted key moments throughout Mandela’s life and also brought attention to the strength and independence of South African women.
Meanwhile, he said that his mother and sister are in the midst of creating a wine tentatively titled “House of Mandela.”
Further cementing the Mandela brand, two of Mandela’s other grandchildren – Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini – are starring in their own reality show, Being Mandela. The 13-episode season focuses on their close family and some of their personal aspirations.
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.”
Follow Lilly Workneh @Lilly_Works