Nelson Mandela of South Africa
Madiba Magic Makes the World a Little Bit Better
The phrase Madiba Magic was coined at the 1995 Rugby World Cup when then President Nelson Mandela showed up in the captain's number 6 jersey.
Nelson Mandela is released from prison
Rugby has always been a white sport in South Africa and until 1991; Nelson Mandela had been in prison for 27 years, branded as a “terrorist." One year after the first democratic general elections, South Africa was back in international sport but the people of South Africa were still uneasy; they didn’t know if reconciliation was actually possible.
1995 Rugby World Cup - Madiba Magic is born
Then Nelson Mandela stepped up and supported the 1995 Springbok team and against all odds they won the World Rugby Cup at Ellis Park – Madiba Magic was born. Read this moving 1995 Rugby World Cup Story of Madiba Magic as told by then Springbok Captain Francois Pienaar and vice captain Joost van der Westhuizen.
Type the words - Madiba Magic into Google’s search box and you’ll get 122,000 hits. Although most people outside South Africa aren’t sure what Madiba Magic is and quite why everybody who knows about it seems want it or even just a little part of it.
Madiba is the clan name of Nelson Mandela
Madiba is Nelson Mandela’s clan name. And in South Africa, Robben Island’s most famous political prisoner is known affectionately as Madiba or by the younger generation as Tata Madiba (father) or Khulu. Read this article on Nelson Mandela’s many names, which each has a special significance.
Madiba comes from South Africa's Wild Coast region of the Eastern Cape (former Transkei) which is known for its unspoilt beauty, rolling green hills and pristine beaches. The Eastern Cape's favorite son, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born and raised in the province, spending his early years in the small village of Qunu, just outside Mthatha (Umtata). Needless to say, Madiba Magic has elevated the Wild Coast a favorite tourist destination to place of pilgrimage.
Some instances and headlines related to Madiba Magic:
- Madiba magic gets the run of the city
When Nelson Mandela was given the Freedom of the City of Johannesburg he acknowledged the award and in true form jokingly asked if it "would be rude for an old man from the Transkei to ask that the town to which he emigrated so many years ago" at least allow him the privilege of driving his cattle through the main streets of the city without let or hindrance.
- 2010 Soccer World Cup announcement - guess who was there?
Madiba magic! It was a great and a special moment for all South Africans at home and abroad and for all Africans in the continent and the Diaspora, when South Africa was selected to host the football World Cup in 2010. It beat Morocco and Egypt in the final vote to become the first African country to host the event. And who pulled the bid through? Why Nelson Mandela of course with his customary Madiba magic!
Madiba Magic - a shared future
Dr Mamphela Ramphele said in Sydney in July 2001 in a speech titled: The Glue That Holds Nations Together: a view from Africa:” Nelson Mandela's acute sense of history and its importance to those he was negotiating with, enabled him to show sufficient respect for Afrikaner heroes and the meaning they attached to their history. This extraordinary sensitivity and respect overwhelmed his opponents. They were forced to concede that difference of experience and the lack of shared meaning was not an absolute barrier to forging a shared future. This marked the beginning of the Madiba magic that the new South Africa came to rely on to get out of all manner of corners, including the threat of losing rugby matches against Australia!”
Nelson Mandela's legacy
Although he is now frail and has had to cut back his public appearances, Nelson Mandela continues to work tirelessly though The Nelson Mandela Foundation which contributes to the making of a just society by promoting the vision and work of its Founder and convening conversations around critical social issues and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.
The Madiba Magic of Nelson Mandela is as potent as ever!
Read more about South Africa:
Soweto, Former Home of Mandela and Tutu
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