JEWISH MEMORIES OF MANDELA
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By NICHOLAS WOLPE – CEO of the Liliesleaf Trust
Fighting to keep our memories alive
This article appeared in the SUNDAY TIMES
The passage of time can blur and distort our recollection of events. Historical sites stand as a testimony to, and a vivid recollection of, the passage of time. They ensure that events and actions that shaped our world today are not lost or forgotten. They are our link to the past, our connection to the present and our bridge to the future.
As philosopher George Santayana said: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
In today's world we forget quickly. We are often told to "move on"; that somehow there is a contradiction between memory and progress; that in order to progress we must forget the past.
It is a bizarre twist of fate that memory is considered a hindrance to progress. But without the memory of the past, we may find ourselves lost in the present.
As time passes it is easy to forget where we came from and what we, as a people, have been through. With each generation the gap gets wider and the importance of our past begins to fade from the sociopolitical landscape.
It is for this reason that sites like Liliesleaf are essential, as they aim to preserve a legacy.
It was a raid on Liliesleaf farm on July 11 1963 which led to sentences of life imprisonment being imposed on, among others, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Andrew Mlangeni and Ahmed Kathrada.
The farm had been the headquarters of Umkhonto weSizwe, the military wing of the ANC, and the Congress Alliance, which had been responsible for drafting the Freedom Charter.
At the time of the raid, Mandela was already serving a five-year sentence for leaving the country illegally. But following the discovery of his diary at Liliesleaf, he became accused No 1 in the Rivonia trial.
Historical institutions like Liliesleaf have a role to play in ensuring that society appreciates the sacrifices endured by dedicated individuals to ultimately create the rights and values enshrined in our constitution.
According to the late Professor Kader Asmal, the importance of heritage is in helping South Africa find a national identity. He said: "The triumph of memory against forgetting is part of heritage. We have to work out not only a shared identity, but also a shared history and so a shared memory."
So an important component of articulating our national identity is defined within the realm of our collective memory.
Thus a struggle today is about ensuring that the memory and legacy of our past is not forgotten.
To forget puts those rights at risk. Clause 5 of the Freedom Charter states: "All shall enjoy equal human rights."
But to enjoy and respect them we have to know how they came about, so that we can truly appreciate their meaning.
It is not about being powerless to fight; it is about the power to ensure that we do not forget, that as South Africans we live up to the traditions of those who gave so much without the expectation or vanity of expecting something in return.
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JEWISH MEMORIES OF MANDELA will be officially published at the SAJBD 46th National Conference Opening Session – by ordering now, you can ensure that you get your copy at the Conference or from the SAJBD offices the following day.
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