On remembering Nelson Mandela responsibly? An ethical engagement with history and agency

If anyone is interested, I shall be speaking at the Nelson Mandela Colloquium on 12 November at 14.00 (GMT +2h, South African time). It is open to anyone who wishes to attend. No need to register, just click on the MS Teams link in the event description which you will find here. I am speaking alongside Dr Tomaza-Qwebani-Ogunleye. I am very grateful!

However, I also remain mindful that we must be careful not to 'mythologise' our leaders, or engage in hagiography. Indeed, let's be inspired, let's learn from them and their lives, but let's also be honest about who they are (or were), and engage history ethically.

My most controversial article for 

The Conversation Africa 

(which was read and shared more than 15 000 times, and republished in 13 different newspapers, including the Mail & Guardian, the Times, and Moneyweb) was entitled 'Why the loss of faith in heroes like Nelson Mandela may not be such a bad thing.' You can read it here: https://theconversation.com/why-the-loss-of-faith-in...

The point of the article is that we must not give over our agency to 'super women' or 'super men'. The myth of the Messianic political figure (who will save us) is harmful to our societies. I think, in part, this is what has happened with American evangelicals who see Donald Trump as their 'political saviour'. No, we must learn from leaders, but take responsibility for the ordering of our individual and social lives to work for the common good, and the betterment of society.

So, I hope you will join us for the Nelson Mandela Colloquium, as we remember rightly, but also take up our own responsibility for change, transformation, and justice in South Africa and elsewhere in the world.