IBRAHIM RAMALAN reports on the recent gathering of writers under the auspices of Abuja Writers Forum’s July flagship guest writer session to celebrate Nelson Mandela Day
They say every day is a Mandela Day. As such, writers under the auspices of the Abuja Writers Forum’s 30th July flagship guest writer session came together to celebrate the Madiba of all times in a grand style.
The session, which was themed around the life and times of the iconic Nelson Mandela, attracted different nationals, from Nigerians, Australian to South African contingents led by their High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Lulu Louis Mnguni who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event. Also, representative of Mandela Institute, Mandela fans and other literary enthusiast thronged in to celebrate one of their own.
Aside rendition of spicy poems by Nkemneme Andy Chukwunonye and Kukogo Iruesiri Sampson, and of course reading from Margaret Hepworth’s book, which were all tailored towards extolling the outstanding qualities of the South African Nationalist, the rendition of Bob Marley’s masterpiece, Redemption Song, by Dave Adzer, did not only tingle the spine of the audience, but was believed to have also resuscitated the spirit of the Jamaican freedom singer who shared in the crusade towards total African liberation. apparently amazed, the South African High Commissioner, during his paper presentation did not only talk on the contemporary South African literature, but also went down memory lane to describe how Nigeria was very critical in the process of liberation of their apartheid regime.
According to him, Mandela clamoured for unity among all segments of the South African society and was a symbol of selflessness and a unifying factor for the freedom despite all the obstacles posed by the Apartheid regime. “Mandela fought for freedom and lived to see the freedom in South Africa,” he said.
He however praised the Writers Forum for the initiative to use literature to extol the virtues of the inspirational leader and to perpetuate his legacies of liberation, courage, dedication and selfless service to humanity.
Mngunu said: “I believe that there are still some traces of domination and injustice in our societies today, we still have to soldier on. We believe victory is certain, especially with the writers’ effort at mobilizing people into the struggle through flourishing literatures that make us accept the fact that we are dominated by our minorities.”
At this juncture, the Australian author of Clarity in Time, Margaret Hepworth, who was represented at the event, said she paraphrases Mandela to encourage young people to rise above their own expectations of themselves.
She added that having seen Nelson Mandela as an inspirational role model, she applied for a permission from the Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa to use Mandela as a fictional character so that humanity would get to know some of his outstanding qualities worthy of emulation.
Hepworth said: “As an educator, I refer to stories of Mandela in my current peace building workshops to teach young people about the choices that our world leaders can make – for reconciliation and forgiveness. I paraphrase Mandela to encourage young people to rise above their own expectations of themselves.”
The floor movedto Kukogho Iruesiri Samson, who rendered three of his poems about Mandela at the event, Not Before The Flashbulb Crew (for Madiba Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela on his 84th birthday), Madiba Is Gone (for Nelson Mandela) and I AM Prepared To Die (a tribute to Nelson Mandela).
He is a Nigerian writer and author of two collections of poems ‘What Can Words Do?’ and ‘I Said These Words’.
Speaking to Blueprint on his inspiration for the poems, Samson, who is the CEO of Words Rhymes & Rhythm Ltd., an online poetry platform that has gained massive social media attention said, “I personally feel very concerned about discrimination, be it by race, gender or ethnicity. That makes it easy to connect with Mandela, who lived his life trying to build bridges of love and equality.”
I Am Prepared To Die
(a tribute to Nelson Mandela)
A black troublemaker stood tall
in the gathering of his accusers
shouting, “give us our freedom!”
The blackness of his skin shone
against the whiteness of their guilt
“I am prepared to die,” he said
the accusers murmured, insecure
the judge’s gavel struck, unsure
27 nights through Robben’s Island —
a long walk for the 4664th troublemaker
until the dawn of Libertas’ rebirth
the accusers murmured, insecure
the judge’s gavel struck, unsure
A hallowed peacemaker stands tall
in the gathering of his disciples
whispering, “don’t lose our freedom!”
Finally, the author of a collection of poems, “Letter to Mandela,’’ Mr Nkemneme Andy Chukwunonye, who delivered poems on the virtues of Mandela, told Blueprint in an interview that in the present time the message of Mandela still holds because there are still some oppressors in Africa. “Africans are making Africa to shed their own blood on their own land because of selfish interest. Africa needs liberation and it is a call on everybody to fight for the right of the African mind.
“Mandela said that education is the key to liberating Africa, so he is telling us to as much as possible open the doors to schools so that the doors to prisons would be closed. Mental liberation is key so everything possible must be done for our schools to be properly financed and harnessed so that we and the generations to come can be mentally liberated,” he said.
