Submitted by Jare Ajayi on 12 June, 2010 - 15:45
The news of the death of a great grand daughter of the African hero, former President Nelson Mandela came as a rude shock. The timing and circumstance of the young ,13 year old girl, Zenaniwa, made the loss a deep one. It occured through a car crash while the girl was returning home from a concert to herald the World Soccer festival holding in that country, South Africa.
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Image source: Guardian.co.uk: Nelson Mandela great-granddaughter killed in crash caused by drunk-driver
The circumstance - and particularly, the timing - of the death brings to the fore one seeming mystery that often characterise major turning-point or break in the affairs of human beings. This is often glossed over or not easily admitted to in public. But careful examination of major breaks in personal and collective lives reveal this as common. What is the mystery: the occurence of something for which people will say 'Oh why me' 'Or why now?' jsut when something phenomenal was about happening.
The picture of the young girl and her great grand father, Mandiba as he is affectionattely called, released by the family shows how intimate the two were while the girl was alive. It may be arguable, but the general feeling is that the world soccer ruling body, FIFA brought the Championship to South Africa mainly to honour the legend, Mandela and in part because the country has infrastructure that can sustain the fiesta. Many have looked forward to seeing Mandela in person in the course of the championship. And then the death of the girl .... which automatically prevented the old man - and his equally popular former wife, Winnie, from being present.
It can be recalled that in 1986, just when Nigerians (and lovers of Nigeria and Africa) were about celebrating the winning by any African of Nobel Prize for Literature (won then by Nigeria's Wole Soyinka), a renowned Nigerian journalist and Wole's young friend, Dele Giwa, was killed through a gruesome parcel bomb. It was the first of its kind. And, as someone quipped then, the incident put ashes in the celebrants' mouths.
Examples could be cited from various areas across the world, but this blog will be too long. Each of us can take a look at our surroundings to see evidences that can validate or disprove the issue raised above.
I suppose our challenge is that whenever something 'big' is about to take place, that is when we should be watchful and exercise the greatest care possible. In the days of yore our fathers used to perform some rites to prevent such whenever they were about embarking on an important mission. I leave the rest to you all. Except to say that rites can be in any form, prayer, and more importantly, care. These too are forms of rites. Isn't it?
Mandela's dynasty - take heart and accept our sympathy, please.
Jare Ajayi
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Comments
Road Traffic Accident has become a nightmare to many families and Nations. It is devastating, traumatic and sorrowful when your loved one is snatched away under this circumstance. Its really quite unfortunate that our ICON, Papa Nelson Mandela has joined the unending list of its victims. While we console our Papa and his family for this loss, l suggest that the young girl, Zenaniwa should be imortalized by FIFA and remembered in all future world cup event considering that she died at a time least expected and in a moment that the world was in great zeal to usher in the World's most talented footballers to vie for the World cup for the first time in South Africa and Africa as a continent. Papa Nelson should bear the loss with courage as we all join him in mourning his pet, Zenaniwa
Prince Fidelis Nnadi
Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiative
Abuja Nigeria
Dear Colleagues
Nelson Mandela has been an important icon for a long time now ... ending apartheid in South Africa was an epic achievement, and his visionary leadership that helped to steer the country away from violent retribution gave the country a new beginning was a miracle ... and is now enabling the hosting of the World Cup in South Africa.
The untimely death of a beloved grand-daughter in a car accident is a sad reminder of ordinary humanity that is also an important part of Mandela's legacy.
Sincerely
Peter Burgess
http://communityanalyticsca.blogspot.com/
http://communityanalyticsca.blogspot.com/http://communityanalyticsca.blogspot.com/
Oh, this merciless death! It knows not the mighty, the royal or the maginalised. It is our greatest fear as human beings, but we have to live with it. It has now snatched such a young girl who had the entire world before her. This is a time when the great Mandela should be enjoying the fruits of his good fight with his family and fellow citizens. But death would never understand! Phew! I hope a time shall come when death will be history. It has really robbed us of our love ones, great brains, wonderful ideas, prominent leaders, friends and relatives.
May her soul rest in eternal peace.
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