Context
The election
of Nelson Mandela ends more than three centuries of white rule in South Africa
and close the era of apartheid. In April 1994 was called the first democratic
election in South Arica, after the government of white supremacy. Apartheid was a word used for the system of racial
segregation in South Africa, enforced through legislation by the national Party
governments, who were the ruling party from 1948 to 1994. Nelson Mandela, before his election
as president, was a militant anti-apartheid activist, and the leader
and co-founder of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). In
1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and
other charges, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Mandela went on to serve 27
years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Isalnd.
Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela led his party in
the negotiations that led to the establishment of democracy in 1994. As
president, he frequently gave priority to reconciliation, while introducing
policies aimed at combating poverty and inequality in South Africa
Analysis
It is an inaugural
speech delivered in 10th May of 1994.
“Your Majesties, Your Highnesses,
Distinguished Guests, Comrades and friends”- the use of friends and comrades is important and makes the speech less formal.
The use of “all of us”, “we”, “south africans” show the following policy of Nelson Mandela,
the policy of conciliation, of alliance between white and black people for the
rebuilding of South Africa.
“We, the people of South Africa,” streghten all the construction of the
policy of Nelson Mandela. There is no difference between black and white, but
all are the people of South Africa. There is much more different from the
policy and speech of the period of apartheid.
The core of the
speech is freedom, and we see it in the last part of the speech, where the
accent is the freedom and the heroes of the world that sacrifice their lives
for the freedom.
“We are both humbled and elevated by the
honour and privilege that you, the people of South Africa, have bestowed on us,
as the first President of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South
Africa, to lead our country out of the valley of darkness.” This point is very important non racial and no sexist
South Africa, the aim to reach.
The final of the
speech is very imposing, the ripetition of “Let
There be” and the final phrase have a powerfull impact: “Let freedom reign.
The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!”
The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!”
Valeria Aleksenko
Last week I saw a movie called “Sarafina”; it is a South African musical which depicted students involved in the Soweto Riots, in opposition to apartheid. It was adapted into a film in 1992, starring with Whoopi Goldberg, Leleti Khumalo and Miriam Makeba, the woman known as Mama Africa.
RispondiEliminaIn 1976 in Soweto, this South African girl, Sarafina, decided to put into practice the teachings of freedom which had given her mom, who is working as housemaid for a white, rich family and the acquaintances of her nonconformist teacher who has tried to learn the real history of South Africa. So Sarafina makes a musical to demand the release of Nelson Mandela, who is in jail.
The repression of white people will be know the exact weight of violence and it will be realize that the important thing is not only to get freedom, but knowing what to do.
This film is not related directly to Nelson’s speech in 1994, but it’s a good way to understand what was the situation in South Africa in the ’70: it was a period full of repressions and violence: white people wanted to enforce their thoughts, their languages and religion, they wanted to eliminate the African history and indigenous languages and for this reason black people decided to rebel against the white power.
After the liberation and election of president Mandela the situation began to change, but nowadays living conditions of blacks are difficult, often the poorest are not yet considered citizens and social services are not granted to all.
If you are interested, I put the link of the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRaFRCAPWJk
Micol Bilato.