Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday tomorrow is not just the talk of South Africa.
It is all over.
I just received an SMS invitation for a birthday party tomorrow in Mercury's in Stone Town. (Unfortunately, I'm off to the way more exotic Morogoro for work).
Two weeks ago they flew Mandela to a rock concert in London to promote his work for awareness raising on HIV/AIDS.
The Mandela Foundation offers you to send greetings to Mandela via SMS or email. And in South Africa you can buy all kinds of merchanise - Mandela is a brand.
I have met a couple of people who have actually met the man. I have only ever been in his house in Vilakazi Street, the house in Soweto where he couldn't stand to stay after he was released from prison. - The house is now turned into a museum, and it is a bit odd to be able to walk around in the man's bedroom.
But again, Mandela is not a normal ex-president.
Mandela has gotten a position very few politicians could ever hope for. It is very much due to Mandela that the country has been able to change and create a positive image of what now is labelled the rainbow nation. But keeping this brand alive is also very much dependent on how his predecessors manage to continue running the country.
Thabo Mbeki or Jacob Zuma don't really go down so well in terms of an icon you'd wanna wear on a t-shirt.
Tomorrow Mandela is 90 years, an unbelievable age for someone who lived a life under some of the harshest circumstances. I think there is a lot to learn from him in terms of the ability to forgive and to approach things the ubuntu way.
