'He led by listening': Lassy Chiwayo remembers Mandela's quiet strength
Image: Supplied
A former political prisoner, diplomat and liberation activist, Lassy Chiwayo, shared an extraordinary bond with the late former President Nelson Mandela during their time on Robben Island-one forged in resistance, hardship, and hope, saying his leadership was phenomenal.
Arrested in the 1980s for his role in the anti-apartheid struggle, Chiwayo joined a generation of young activists who looked to Mandela not just as a leader, but as a moral compass in a deeply fractured nation.
This as citizens were celebrating Mandela Day and sharing their experiences with the world about the late president.
Mandela Day is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on July 18, Mandela's birthday.
Mandela on December 5, 2013.
According to Chiwayo, the meaning of Mandela Day means Ubuntu, caring for others more than you care for yourself, discipline, righteousness, a deep sense of conviction and self-consciousness that would not lead to any betrayal of another human being.
The former South African consul-general to Shanghai, China, emphasised that Mandela was not someone who would betray anyone.
'He would never allow anyone to gossip about anyone, he is the type that when you go and tell him about some person says this or that.
'He would say no, wait a moment, I'll get back to you, leave you sitting comfortably on your chair and come back to you while still waiting,' he said, adding that he would delay you to ensure that the person you're gossiping about was in the room.
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He said that was the kind of leadership that would be needed currently, especially in the ANC.
'Unfortunately what destroyed the ANC are people who gossip and those who are easily vulnerable to gossip,' he said.
Chiwayo has spoken of Mandela not as an untouchable icon, but as a human being who mentored with quiet strength. "Madiba didn't preach, he listened, he led by example," Chiwayo recalled the moments.
According to Chiwayo, Mandela taught the younger generation that freedom began with dignity, even in chains.
Their conversations-often whispered in the shadows of concrete walls-planted seeds of leadership and reconciliation that would later shape South Africa's democratic transition.
Mandela saw promise in Chiwayo's sharp intellect and unwavering courage. Decades later, that mentorship carried Chiwayo through his own trials in government and diplomacy.
Though separated by time, their shared legacy endures: two men, once jailed for dreaming of freedom, now symbols of its cost-and its unyielding worth.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics
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