Sunday, August 8, 2010
The Power of Cultural Politics: Legacy of Nelson Mandela Contested
The politics of cultural and political identity have the potential power to build, destroy, humper and/or dent countries, as well as individual, cultural legacy. The fiasco taking place at the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mvezo in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa represent one such example of how cultural politics of identity can lead to the destruction of peoples and countries cultural identity. At the heart of the debate is the grandson of the former president Nelson Mandela, Mandla Mandela, members of the Nelson Mandla Museum, the Department of Arts and Culture South Africa, National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, and the R8000000 trophy contested. The question that develops out of this is who owns the Nelson Mandela legacy? We know Mandla is not new to controvesial disputes about the Mandela legacy; at one point he was suggested to have sold Nelson Mandela burial rights to the SABC for millions of rands even though is disputed the allegations. On the other hand it leaves us with the question as to what will happen to the lagacy of uTata once ekhothamile (is no longer)?
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ReplyDeleteThe question is why should we be so concern about the legacy of Mandela while there are more pressing issues affecting many South Africans such unemployment, poverty, and illiteracy? On the other hand is why should we not and what does that say about the state of our heritage in the country.
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