Nelson Mandela's Daughter, Makaziwe Edits The July Edition of New African Magazine In Honour of Madiba's Centenary

New African magazine celebrates Mandela centenary with a special edition guest edited by his eldest daughter Makaziwe.

New African Magazine July Edition takes stock of the state of Africa, 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela, as the world celebrates his Centenary on 18th July 2018.

With all things involving Nelson Mandela, both in life and in death, commemorative activities have been planned across the globe to celebrate the life and the legacy of one of Africa’s greatest sons as his 18 July birthday Centenary approaches. But New African July Edition – on sale in newsstands in over 75 countries globally – not only celebrates the freedom fighter’s Centenary, but uses this landmark date to look back at where Africa stands today.

This Special Edition – Guest Edited by his oldest daughter Dr Makaziwe Mandela, reflects and evaluates the state of Africa in the 100 years of Madiba, and has collated views from his family and those who closely worked with him to take stock

Contributors to this edition include Mandela’s grand children, Ndaba – who has just released his book Going to the Mountain, life lessons from my grandfather – Ndileka, and Swati. His fellow Robben island prisoner, former minister and now prominent businessman, Tokyo Sexwale, Former Executive Secretary at the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, the popular veteran singer and rights activist Yvonne Chaka Chaka, former Ministers in Nelson Mandela’s first Cabinet Jay Naidoo and Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, and many others including his personal chef for over 20 years fondly known in the family as Mam Xoli contribute to this commemorative issue.

Their abiding opinion is that the struggle hero did the best he could to win South African political freedom from one of the most brutal and racist systems in the world. But that the onus was and still is on the next generation of leaders after him, to ensure economic and social empowerment for the majority black South Africans.

“Tata beckoned South Africa and Africa to take charge of its own future and shape the destiny of her people. The content in this edition attempts to assess the resilience of Madiba’s legacy,” says Dr Makaziwe. In her editorial she adds that “Tata recognised his failings and his own place in the world. As he often admonished, he was “not a saint” and therefore would not want us to beatify him. When Tata walked out of prison in 1990, he was the first to admit he was not a free man, since for him there is no freedom for one man without the freedom for all. Thus he fought hard to bequeath us the political freedom all South Africans enjoy today. It is a truism, though, that freedom even today remains elusive for millions of our unemployed youth, millions of our people stuck in poverty, contempt and indignity”.

Indeed, more than half of the current generation (the so-called ‘born-frees’ whose the views of these are also captured in this must-read issue), was not born when Nelson Mandela and his fellow Rivonia trialists were imprisoned for life for their fight against apartheid. What matters to them is what is happening in their lives today, an issue Tokyo Sexwale picks up in his contribution: “Africa is better, but she is still ill economically. Africa should be afraid of being left any further behind by technological advances and if we continue to remain technological have-nots, Africa will continue to serve other people forever – and that is not an ideal Madiba fought for.”