Few people are better placed than former judge Albie Sachs to share stories about South Africa's first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela.
After retiring from active political life, Mandela appointed Sachs to South Africa's first Constitutional Court. Sachs offered a glimpse into the moments that set the late statesman apart, proving there was still more to learn about Mandela despite his extraordinarily public life. He shared these views at the launch of the Nelson Mandela Memorial Centre and School of Public Governance Architectural Design Competition last month. This Mandela Month, we revisit the captivating tales. This year's Mandela Day was observed on 18 July, under the theme: "It's still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity".
'Calculated madness'
Sharing a memory, Sachs admitted he was not present, but later heard the story from Indres Naidoo, who recounted an incident on Robben Island. A kerfuffle broke out in the quarry. "One of the warders was attacking a prisoner and Mandela broke away from his unit and he grabbed the warder. That was high treason in prison, and everyone was stunned. It was though he had sort of lost it, because one thinks of Mandela as a restrained, thoughtful person who is measured in what he does and, in that moment, it felt like impetuosity had just taken over," he recalled.
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"He knew what he was doing, and he knew he could be put on trial for that. They couldn't send him to jail because he was already in jail, but there could be penalties in jail such as isolation. He knew the risk he was taking. And the risk proved to be too much for the warders, and it was [his] calculated madness that came to the fore in the moment. His whole life was associated with this idea of calculated madness."
A great leader because he is a great listener
This story was a throwback to the first national executive meeting of the ANC. With exiled politicians back on home soil and an elected leadership in place, Sachs noted, "Mandela is now reading a speech, and one of the comrades stands with the suggestion that we should not start the meeting with a message from the president. The contention was that the president should be the last to speak, after delegates have spoken."
This, Sachs said, meant reversing a programme and agenda that had already been set. "Mandela sat there ... and he's a patrician in many ways; born into one of the senior families of what was then Thembuland and had been trained as a youngster to be a traditional leader." Sachs recalled that during an interval, he was able to speak with the now flustered comrade who apologised for trying to diplomatically change the order of proceedings from the floor of the meeting. From thereon, he [Mandela] was the last to speak. "He accepted the point. He proved to be a great leader because he was a great listener. Listening is very democratic; it's an equaliser," said Sachs.
Humour with humanity
The third story is set on Constitution Hill, where a competition was under way to design the new Constitutional Court building. Sachs said a senior official at the Department of Public Works stood up and announced that she was about to call on the president to announce the winner. "And, as I paraphrase now, said that elderly politicians are used to giving long speeches, so please don't take too long.
"I mention the humour because it made him less important and because it went with humanity."
"He stood up, smiling, and said 'I feel very uncomfortable. I can't wait to get out of here as soon as possible. I spent 27 years in prison, and now I find myself in prison again' (the Constitutional Court is built on the grounds of the Old Fort Prison complex), and everyone started relaxing after this light-hearted moment," added Sachs. "I mention the humour because it made him less important and because it went with humanity. Life is serious and particularly hard for people who have been deprived of access to many different things."
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In his weekly newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote of Mandela Day: "Madiba was clear that overcoming poverty is not an act of charity, but an act of justice. So, on this Mandela Day, let us also recommit ourselves to the difficult task of ending poverty and inequality in our country and in our world. The acts of service we perform this Saturday are not merely symbolic gestures, disconnected from the harder business of building institutions, driving investment, and changing systems and policies. They are part of the same effort."
