Glory and Hope
By Nelson Mandela
Thouria Mahmoud
South Africa, a country with citizens who were black, white and Asian descendants, suffered Apartheid
starting from the year 1948 all through 1990. Apartheid means “separateness” and it is a racial
segregation in South Africa created by the white South African Government. It ensures that white South
Africans own 90% of the country’s land and it also ensures that the nonwhites were not included in the
government. In 1990 F.W. De Clerk, former South African president, put an end to the unjust policy.He
was imprisoned for 27 years for standing up against the government. Later,in 1994, Nelson Mandela
was elected president. He was not only the first black South African president, but he also was the first
president to be elected in the newborn free elections of South Africa. On the day of his election, he gave
a speech.
The occasion of his speech was that he was just elected; in a way, it was an inaugural speech.
One purpose of that speech: is to celebrate the new step towards an anti-discriminated nation since
he was the first president to be democratically elected and the first black South African to ever be
elected.
The goal and other purpose of the speech: is to unite the country by appealing to what they have in
common, their love for the land, in order to move forward and to forget past injustices and forgive the
white minorities and their leaders for these injustices. He is promoting national reconciliation. He
wants South Africans to be a unit physically and spiritually since they all witnessed the suffering and
the tearing apart of the country together.
The speech was addresses an audience including: the people of Mandela's country, leaders of all
political group, the royalty, Mandela's comrades and leaders and supporters from other countries.
The agreement and promise (the covenant) he gives the people of his country: is there will be justice
and equality for everyone in South Africa and therefore have a “rainbow nation” uniting white, black,
mixed race and Asians of South Africa.
Q. What emotional appeal did Mandela make to his audience and what effect did it have?
He talks to their patriotic selves and their intimate relations to the land. He reminds them of the beauty
of their land and their attachment to the soil of the land. He made a comparison between the jacaranda
trees (famous trees in South Africa) and the people of the country in the sense that they are both rooted
into the land.
Q. Who are "bloodthirsty forces which still refuse to see the light" that Mandela was talking about in his
speech?
Supporters of Apartheid- racial segregation are who he is talking about. He said that he is grateful to all
the forces who made it safe for the elections to take place because many supporters of racial injustice
are still living in the dark (an unfair mindset).
Q. Why does he call his election and his predecessor’s (former president) end racial injustice “new born
liberty?”
Democratic elections is a new happening in South Africa and more importantly it is a huge leap towards
a new anti-segregated South Africa.
Q. Since he mentions the past to forgive and forget the unfair treatment and he mentions the present to
celebrate the new beginning, what does he have to say about the future?
Mandela goes beyond the subject of anti-discrimination and racial injustice; he wants a united nation
who solves the issue of poverty. He wishes for more job opportunities and better life conditions for all
the citizens. According to Mandela, without being united, South Africa will never obtain such a dream.
******In a sense, Mandela’s speech was divided into three parts: (Thank you Miss Monya for this part)
Past: Laws of racial separation (Apartheid) brought internal conflict to South Africa and made it an
outlaw state.
Present: Now South Africa has put an end to the laws of Apartheid and has gained the political
emancipation (liberation) to carry out its first democratic elections.
Future: He wants his audience to dedicate themselves to building a new government (democracy) of
peace, prosperity, non-sexism and non-racialism. They must all work together for it to happen.
Vocabulary:
Spurn: reject or refused with scorn
Chasm: marked division, separation, or difference
Deprivation: state of having something taken away
Inalienable: impossible to give up or take away
Amnesty: pardon for past offenses