Mandela's grandson with political ambitions

Train "100 Mandelas" for Africa: Ndaba Mandela. (Image: Juliane Ziegler)

Johannesburg, in the courtyard of the Nelson Mandela Foundation: Ndaba Mandela stands near the statue of his grandfather Nelson, seems about to hit his face on the back and says: what new?

Ndaba Mandela, tall, tall, is common here. He lives a few blocks away, in the old house of his grandfather. He is named after his family with mixed feelings. "Of course, I will be associated with Nelson Mandela all my life.It's a lot of pressure.At the same time, it also gives me the opportunity to initiate things."

Its great Father, a prisoner

When he speaks of his grandfather, affectionate respect resounds.For the first time, he met her at the age of seven.The family visited Nelson Mandela in captivity, where he had already spent his third decade.It was not foreseeable that this old man would become the most important caregiver of Ndaba.

Ndaba was born in 1982, South Africa was led by the racist apartheid regime, and even as a toddler, he felt the retaliation, because the members of the black freedom fighters were even more pressurized.The Ndabas family was highly political and lived in conditions She has moved several times, living with her grandmother Evely n – the first wife of Nelson Mandela – and his grandmother Winnie. His parents had addiction problems and separated early.

His own children had grown up without a father because of his imprisonment, and Nelson Mandela wanted to at least compensate for it.

He brought in just before Nelson Mandela became the first black president in South Africa In 1993, his grandson Ndaba to himself. His own children had grown up without a father because of his imprisonment, but at least he wanted to make up for it with Ndaba. For the grandson, the elder was "in all practical matters as a father to me". But especially at the beginning it was difficult. "He was 75 years old, a famous man, a national hero, but to me he was a stranger."

In Ndaba's memory, his grandfather was strict enough. Once, Ndaba almost had to sleep outside because he was wearing a sweater. "He appreciated things," he said, "he said in a low, calm voice. At school, his grandfather was expecting a superior performance, which put him under pressure in adolescence. "Today, I understand it." Ndaba is one of the first generations in which blacks can go to school and university as well as whites. He calls his grandfather by his clan name and says, "Madiba wanted me to take advantage of the opportunity that my parents did not have and therefore demanded from me very good grades."

He curses the humor of Mandela

Teens consumed drugs and Ndaba alcohol, did not party and flew out of school. After a while and with the support of Mandela, he caught up. Talking about world politics or the situation in South Africa aroused his political interest, he studied international relations. "Madiba has often asked for my opinion." But Ndaba also had to endure to her costs: "In my teenage years, I cursed her humor.Once I had a date, the girl came to us, and Madiba said:" So, girl, have you ever offered to my grandson? "The senior thought it was funny, the junior embarrassed.

Promoting the cultural and political progress that Nelson Mandela and his generation have put in

His parents did not see much of Ndaba at the time, his mother died in 2003, his father died in 2005, and both were HIV-positive By the turn of the century, five million South Africans have been infected with the virus and 140,000 people still die each year The family has publicly concealed the cause of the mother's death because the subject of AIDS was taboo When his father died, Nelson Mandela decided to fight the Ndaba says, "We were the first South African family to Openly admit that one of them had died of AIDS. "That's what shaped it. Later, he became ambassador of the United Nations Program against AIDS

. He co-founded the Africa Rising Foundation in 2009. The Foundation seeks to advance the cultural and political progress that Nelson Mandela and his generation have initiated. It manages education programs and awards scholarships to unemployed students, students and young people. A program called "100 Mandelas" and aims to train cadres according to the principles of Nelson Mandela. Ndaba says, "I want young people in Africa to have the opportunity and the confidence to take control of their destiny and that of the continent."

He often speaks in pictures, his sentences seem prefabricated. He tells his story many times at conferences all over the world, and in June he published a book about it, in German that means "the courage to forgive." The legacy of my grandfather Nelson Mandela " Like the other members of the family, Ndaba earns money with this famous name, but he does so with a credible concern for his grandfather's legacy and does not sell "Mandela wine" like aunts

Nelson Mandela was the first black man from 1994 to 1999 President of South Africa, spent 27 years in prison as a political prisoner and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. On December 5, 2013, he died at the age of 95. He would have become a hundred on July 18. A look back on his life. (Image: Imago)

From 1944, Nelson Mandela is involved in the African National Congress (ANC) .In 1951, he was elected President of the Youth League The photo shows it in 1961. (Image: Imago)

Because of his activities against the apartheid policy in his homeland, he has to spend a total of 27 years as a prisoner policy from 1963 to 1990. But even before being arrested and banned. On the photo: Several women are demanding the release of Mandela in August 1962 in Johannesburg after being arrested shortly before. (Photo: Dennis Lee Royle / AP / Keystone)

1961: The 42-year-old political activist becomes leader of the ANC's armed wing. In addition to political activities, he operates as a heavyweight boxer. (Photo: Keystone / AP)

Nelson Mandela with his second wife Winnie and their daughter Zindzi in 1961 in Soweto. (Photo: Alf Khumalo / AP / Star / Keystone)

1988: Winnie Mandela and her family visit her husband at Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town. Nelson Mandela has been imprisoned for a total of 27 years. (Image: Imago)

On February 11, 1990, the anti-apartheid fighter was released and greeted by an enthusiastic mob. The day of his release, Mandela delivers a speech to 120,000 supporters in a stadium in Soweto. (Image: Imago)

Nelson and Winnie Mandela at the Soweto Football Stadium (February 11, 1990). (Image: Imago)

The same year, Mandela visits the former German Chancellor Willy Brandt in Bonn. (Photo: Imago)

1993: With President Frederik de Klerk, anti-apartheid fighter Mandela receives the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. (Image: Keystone / AP)

1994: On May 9, Mandela is elected the country's first black president. (Image: Imago)

Nelson Mandela hands the World Cup to Francois Pienaar, captain of the South African rugby team, on June 24, 1995, after South Africa defeated the Neo -Zelandais in the final. Mandela was the victory of the important title to promote the sport of post-apartheid democracy. (Image: Keystone / AP)

1997: During a state visit to London, the South African president kisses the hand of a girl. (Image: Keystone / AP)

1997: With the Libyan leader of the time, Muammar Ghadhafi. Mandela called politicians like Fidel Castro and Ghadhafi "arms comrades". (Photo: Keystone / AP)

1998: Former US President Bill Clinton watches Nelson Mandela through the window of Cell No. 5 at Robben Island Prison, where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of jail. (Photo: Keystone / AP)

1998: The reproduction of a poster from a local record company shows Mandela as a Rastafarian smoking marijuana. (Image: Keystone / EPA / Str)

2002: On the Occasion of the Opening of the New York Tribeca Film Festival, Mandela Welcomes Actors Robert De Niro (m) And Hugh Grant. (Photo: Imago)

2004: Visit of Zurich. After FIFA announced that the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be held in South Africa, Mandela is thrilled to win the World Cup trophy. (Image: Keystone / AP)

2007: Meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg on the occasion of her trip from three countries in southern Africa. (Image: Keystone / EPA)

2007: With former US President Jimmy Carter in Johannesburg. The two are launching a joint humanitarian project there. (Photo: Imago)

2007: Mandela celebrates her 89th birthday in Johannesburg with the children of her children's foundation. (Photo: Imago)

2008: In conversation with Brazilian President of the time, Lula da Silva, in Maputo, Moçambique. (Image: Imago)

2012: On July 18th, the South African celebrates his 94th birthday with members of his family in his hometown of Qunu. The photo shows him with his great-grandson Zesilo Hlongwane. (Photo: Reuters)

2013: Mandela dies in Johannesburg on December 5th. In the morning, the first pages of the daily newspapers in South Africa know only one subject. (Photo: Reuters)

Nelson Mandela was born a hundred years ago – a review of his life

Winnie Mandela, grandmother of Ndaba, died in April and, on July 18, Nelson Mandela would be one hundred years old . Both events sparked memories of the liberation struggle in South Africa and revived old debates – as if Winnie were the real fighter and Nelson too peaceful. Ndaba says that anyone claims that he has not sufficiently addressed Mandela's attitude before going to prison. At that time, he had driven Winnie to continue the fight aggressively. The transformation to pacifism that he had only made in prison, when he realized in front of bloody struggles for independence elsewhere that violence was not the right way.

Ndaba looked after the aging Nelson

When Nelson Mandela grew up, he exchanged and after the roles that he and Ndaba each played in the life of the other: now Nelson did not care anymore about Ndaba, but vice versa. They lived together until the death of Nelson Mandela in December 2013. He also bequeathed his political ambitions to his grandson. Ndaba can imagine a political career. In South Africa, some observers already see him as the "new Mandela" and future president.