Nelson Mandela fighter against apartheid

With deep respect for his life long fight against apartheid and for human rights, ICCO has learned about Nelson Mandela's death, the first black president in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela's death means the departure of a grand person. Madiba (a clan name for the Mandela’s) as he was respectfully called, has been an example and inspiration for all of us. He was imprisoned for 27 years thereby sacrificing a great part of his life for a more peaceful and just society.
Today South Africans reflect, mourn and celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela, reports Gerrit de Vries, regional manager of the ICCO  office in Pretoria. “We hope that his legacy of peace, reconciliation and unity in South Africa remains alive.”
Symbol of righteous fight
During all his life, including his 27 years on Robben Island and in the prisons of Pollsmoor and Victor Verster, Mandela was the inspirer and symbol for the righteous fight against apartheid of millions of suppressed South Africans.
Madiba became the first President of the new democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and peaceful South Africa. He taught us important values such as humility and the strength of reconciliation and forgiveness. Through his teachings of peace amongst all persons, he gained Apartheid - a totalitarian ideology - that resulted in a violent, artificial segregation of people based on their skin color and origin. At the time of his release, Marinus Verweij, chairman of the executive Board of ICCO worked in Zimbabwe. “I experienced apartheid and the end of this regime from close by.  I have deep respect for the fact that Mandela, after all he had endured, has never become bitter.” (Photo: www.sabc.co.za)
Without truth no justice
After his release in 1990, 'Madiba' preached truth, forgiveness and reconciliation and guided the torn country to national unity and racial equality. Though the Peace and Reconciliation process, led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu did not solve all the problems, this unique approach has inspired many. Without truth there can't be any justice.

In 1990, Mandela visited the European Parliament. Church and NGO representatives, including ICCO, were also present.  He expressed his gratitude for the support he had received at the time of his release and the end of apartheid. In 1998, Mandela held a speech during the Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Harare. He said:  ‘To us in South and Southern Africa, and indeed the entire continent, the WCC (World Council of Churches) has always been known as a champion of the oppressed and the exploited.’

ICCO recruited observers
ICCO supported various organizations and persons that fought against apartheid. An important partner was South African Church Council (SACC). In 1994, the first democratic elections were held in South Africa. ICCO recruited more than twenty Dutch observers for this unique landmark in South Africas history. This action was in accordance with Ecumenical Monitoring Programme South Africa (EMPSA), a program from the World Council of Churches and SACC. One of the observers was an ICCO employee.

The work of ICCO today
Apartheid was abolished nearly 20 years ago. Today, ICCO still works in South Africa. Gerrit de Vries, regional manager of the ICCO office in Pretoria says that the country still bears the marks of the apartheid regime. “The gap between black and white is still unacceptably large. An important point on ICCO's agenda is the right to land. We support black people, whose land was expropriated during apartheid, to get their land back. ICCO also contributes to sustainable agriculture development and product marketing. Moreover there is the HIV-AIDS program as the AIDS epidemic strikes South Africa in particular.”

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