Sacrificial Leadership

We are going through a serious time of tension in our city.  Riots, violence, heavy security/police presence, and nervous people.  Although, things at present seem calm there are predictions of a rising storm later today.  In light of all the tensions that have risen over the past few days it has made me think about the kind of leadership that Africa needs.  Africa and leadership are always topics of discussion and much is said in the classrooms and books about it.  The need is for great leaders of integrity, transparency, and self-sacrifice.  Africa though is not without models of such leadership.  There have been some that have risen to the task and have tarried alongside their people not in an effort to lord over them but in an effort to serve them and their needs.  I just finished Mandela's autobiography and was moved by his willingness to suffer with his people.  His ability to act humbly but with great strength.  He was more than willing to suffer alongside his people at huge personal sacrifice to himself.  There is so much to say about the kind of character he displayed.  But, I will let his words do the speaking.  The following was a statement read by his daughter in 1985 when he was offered his 'freedom' in exchange for essentially giving up the fight against apartheid.  He had now been in jail for around 20 years when his response to this offer was read by his daughter in a stadium full of people.  His words had not been legally heard for 20 years in public. 

"I cherish my own freedom dearly, but I care even more for your freedom.  Too many have died since I went to prison.  Too many have suffered for the love of freedom.  I owe it to their widows, to their orphans, to their mothers, and to their fathers who have grieved and wept for them.  Not only I have suffered during these long, lonely, wasted years.  I am not less life-loving than you are.  But I cannot sell my birthright, nor am I prepared to sell the birthright of the people to be free...Only free men can negotiate.  Prisoners cannot enter into contracts....I cannot and will not give any undertaking at a time when I and you, the people, are not free.  Your freedom and mine cannot be separated.  I will return" (p. 717)

Mandela continued on as a prisoner until he was finally released without the imposed conditions on February 11, 1990.