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George Bizos passed away among his family yesterday afternoon, in the small house that he built himself, along with his famous vegetable garden at the back. He was 62. He trained as a lawyer where he befriended fellow pupil Nelson Mandela. A few years later Bizos was defending Mandela in court against charges of treason and sabotage. Bizos defended Mandela in the so called Rivonia trial of 1963 and 1964 that saw South Africa&#8217;s future president face the death penalty. Liliesleaf Trust CEO, Nicholas Wolpe joins CNBC Africa for more.

Remembering George Bizos: A pillar of SA’s democracy

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George Bizos passed away among his family yesterday afternoon in the small house that he built himself along with his famous vegetable garden at the back. He was 92. Bizos came to South Africa, with his father, at the age of 13 as a war refugee from German-occupied Greece. He trained as a lawyer where he befriended fellow pupil Nelson Mandela. A few years later Bizos was defending Mandela in court against charges of treason and sabotage. Bizos recalled Mandela in so called Rivonia trial of 1963 and 1964 that saw South Africa&#8217;s future president face the death penalty.

Human rights lawyer George Bizos dies at 92

The last survivor of a defiant group of young activists who stared down death in the name of freedom has been laid to rest in his home of Soweto, in Johannesburg among the people he had served in politics for seven decades. With him died a lot of the hopes for freedom and prosperity for all South Africans that he fought for until his last breath. 



In paying tribute to Andrew Mlangeni,who died aged 95, Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi had stinging words for the country&#8217;s post aprtheid leaders as he spoke as the funeral on behalf of Gauteng premier David Makhura, laid low by COVID-19. 



&#8220;&#8221;The struggle you waged may turn to be something else if we don&#8217;t self-correct. That the sacrifices you made, if nothing drastic is done, may be fruiltess,&#8221; says Lesufi.



&#8220;The mistrust between the leadership and our people is growing daily, Never in our history have greediness and corruption preoccupied the mind of our people . In your honour , we need to let go of all these wrong things.&#8221; 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="480" height="360" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/hqdefault-58.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-376849" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/hqdefault-58.jpg 480w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/hqdefault-58-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /><figcaption>Last Rivonia trialist Andrew Mlangeni dies aged 95</figcaption></figure>



Mlangeni was accused number 10 in the so called Rivonia trial that began in 1963 and lasted for a year. Accused number one was Nelson Mandela who was to turn world opinion in favour his band of brothers who stood, resolutely, behind their principles in the face of the death penalty. The apartheid authorities had failed to secure convictions of the increasingly troublesome activists, with treason charges, in the 1950s because of the complexities of proof. Sabotage was a lot easier to prove and prosecutors pressed for the death penalty when the trial concluded in 1964.



Even on the cold morning in 1964, when the accused ascended the stairs at the Palace of Justice in Pretoria for teh verdict they didn&#8217;t know whether they were going to hang. The judge sentenced them to life in prison, which meant that Mlangeni, who had been trained by the military in China, spent 27 years behind bars.



Ironically Mlangeni spent a lifetime in prison for doing nothing wrong. The authorities transferred the sabotage of the late defence minister Joe Modise to Mlangeni&#8217;s charge sheet and never even bothered to question him about it in court.



Mlangeni pleaded guilty to all charges in solidarity with his comrades, on principle, in the cause of putting the apartheid government of the day on trial. It worked and soon the desperadoes of the struggle were being seen as the principled Benjamin Franklins of Africa, in the words of advocate George Bizos, one of the men who defended them. 



The kind of selfless principle that South Africa, in 2020, is crying out for.

DSC_1392

The last survivor of a defiant dance with death and Nelson Mandela is laid to rest.

The unjust killing of George Floyd troubled my soul, and brought me to tears. The global outcry prompted by the deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others has prompted a much needed discussion on racial justice. The stories I have heard about the injustices in the United States today has triggered a reminder for me of South Africa’s apartheid that was similar to America’s Jim Crow. While advancements were made with the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and apartheid ended in 1994 just over a quarter century ago, both countries still deal with structural and historical inequality that affects access to quality education, health and finance.



In South Africa, the recent global protests are a harsh reminder of historical inequality along racial lines. The celebration of Youth Day in our country commemorates the Soweto uprising and South Africa’s own ardent protests which have shifted from calling for democratic freedom then to economic freedom now. Protests are powerful because they bring people together to build social cohesion by rallying around a set of noble values. A common value for all nations to mobilize around is the reduction of inequality. We need to address and acknowledge those who are— and continue to be— marginalized in order for our countries to move forward.



As we see more and more division in the world, we must focus on establishing social cohesion in our communities by sharing our personal stories. Storytelling is the cornerstone of the human experience and human connection. Through stories we construct our world. In my book “My Blood Divides and Unites”, I tell my story and those of others around the world. There is power in your story and how it can connect to others, bring healing from lingering emotions and instil a culture of empathy. As I write in my book My Blood Divides and Unites: ‘’That’s because empathy— listening to the other person with an open heart and connecting with the other person’s feelings even if you don’t agree— can put you in the other person’s shoes, and that can often be a catalyst for repairing and strengthening broken, even hostile, relationships.’’



In the book I call on individuals, businesses, government and the media to use stories and actions to become inspirational leaders. There are many examples of true leadership and reconciliation that happens at a grassroots level. Individuals across all levels of society are utilizing the personal and professional tools at their disposal to engage in racial reconciliation, however, this reality is not always displayed by the media. I believe we can and should share positive stories of racial harmony and social cohesion. We must be intentional about being inspirational leaders in the area of racial reconciliation in order to motivate our peers to play their parts in ending inequality.



In closing, an extract from my book:



“Now is the time for inspirational leaders to move the needle and change the hearts of individuals and nations by bringing people together….”



Who is today’s Rev. Martin Luther King? Who is our Nelson Mandela, our Abraham Lincoln?&#8230;.I cannot say who the leaders history remembers and writes of will be, but I can say with absolute certainty that everyone can inspire others with their forgiveness,kindness, and authentic desire to connect. Each and every one of us can be an inspirational leader amongst our families and friends, and in the workplace and place of worship. Each and every one of us can be a “mini King,” and from this many, a few will rise to inspire us to even greater heights. Of this I am sure.’’



Jesmane Boggenpoel is an experienced business executive and former Head of Business Engagement at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. She has served on the boards of various international organizations.

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OPINION: How the death of George Floyd should make South Africa ask: where is the next Nelson Mandela?

By Chris Bishop



It says a lot about the personality of the last survivor of the trial that saw Nelson Mandela face death that when he emerged from 27 years in prison he returned to the same tiny township home he had been arrested in on a cold, crisp, winter’s evening nearly three decades before. The bedroom where rough tough police pushed their way in, on June 24 1963, to arrest Andrew Mlangeni, who was in bed with his wife June Johanna, is now his book-filled study where he worked for years to improve the life of his &nbsp;people; there is an uplifting metaphor for hope in life if ever there was one. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Not for Mlangeni the status symbol big empty multi-storey mansions of rich; he preferred to stay in the house be bought, in Dube in Soweto the Johannesburg township where he was born, close to his family and the people who supported his liberation politics. In his mid-eighties, a time when most people have retired, the member of Parliament Mlangeni opened up an office for his people in Dube.



“People can come here and we can help them,” he said of his new office in 2009. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The widely respected Mlangeni joined the struggle in 1951 – the year he met Mandela for the first time at a train station in Soweto. He was always destined for the struggle and often used to talk of the influence future African National Congress leader OR Tambo had on him as he taught him science and mathematics at school. &nbsp;&nbsp;



There is no doubt Mlangeni was a tough as nails; he fought exploitation as a young factory worker and led a bus strike in Johannesburg in the late 1940s- the days when violence and coercion were the order of the day. He trained as a soldier in China, in the early 1960s and soon after his return to South Africa he was captured in the famous police raid on Liliesleaf farm in Rivonia-the suburb that lent the trial its name.



As I write this, on June 6 2020 the sun is going down over Soweto on Mlangeni’s 95th birthday – an day to celebrate an achievement in both perpetuity and politics. Where ever he is tonight, Mlangeni will be surrounded by his comrades and friends; quite right too for one who sacrificed so much for many. I was lucky to spend time with him in the making of the CNBC Africa documentary Liliesleaf – the Untold Story and his bluff, no nonsense, persona left an indelible mark on me. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



In the dark days of the underground struggle, in the early 1960s, Mlangeni suffered more than most at the hands of bullying police. In the cells at the old Johannesburg Fort – now the Constitutional Court &#8211; where the Rivonia trialists were hauled in chains after the raid, his jailers were ruthless in seeking, in vain, information.



&nbsp;In a chance meeting in 2010, ironically in the colonial splendour of the Rand Club in downtown Johannesburg, he puffed on a Consulate cigarette as he told me of how the police tortured him with electrodes and dished out arguably the worst beating inflicted on any of the Rivonia trialists. He said at one point the police were waterboarding him; that is, holding a bag over his head while they poured water through.



“I felt my lungs fill up, I was drowning, I was gone…then one of the police hit me hard in the stomach and all of the water spurted out of me and I was OK!”



All of us listening over post lunch drinks, including the late veteran photographer, Alf Kumalo, who once had his skull cracked in police cells, laughed. If you have suffered through politics or journalism, especially as Alf had, you tend to see the funny side of the ugliest of moments.



We even chuckled over the fact that no evidence was directed towards Mlangeni during the Rivonia trial – meaning he spent a lifetime in prison for doing nothing wrong. He pleaded guilty, on principle, to all the charges, shoulder-to-shoulder with his comrades, in the hope the hearing would put apartheid South Africa on trial. It did, the so called terrorists in the dock caught the imagination of the world’s press and transformed into the Benjamin Franklins of Africa.



This principle cost Mlangeni 27 years of his life. In the back of the police van leaving the Palace of Justice in Pretoria, on their way to Robben Island, the accused, including Mandela and Mlangeni, held up three fingers to the young advocate George Bizos who had helped them escape the death sentence.



“Three years George and we will be out!”



It turned out not to be so. A life sentence in apartheid days, meant life, as Robben Island &nbsp;prisoner, the late Ahmed Kathrada, once commented to me with a hint of irony.



It is a measure of the man that Mlangeni said of his feelings about the 1964 life sentence, nearly half a century on: “We felt happy and proud &nbsp;that although the propaganda outside from the government that we were murderers, terrorists and rapists, people now knew we were none of these things and people knew what we were fighting for. That feeling that they know we are not thieves, that we are fighting for freedom, that is what kept us going.” How much would people give to hear a leader speak that way in 2020?

Why 95-year-old struggle stalwart Andrew Mlangeni was “happy and proud” about a life sentence.

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Nic Wolpe, CEO of the Liliesleaf Trust joins CNBC Africa for more on the life of ANC struggle stalwart Denis Goldberg who died just before midnight aged 87.

Liliesleaf Trust CEO on the life of ANC struggle stalwart Denis Goldberg

Sol Kerzner| 1935–2020 Statement from the Kerzner family: Solomon (Sol) Kerzner, one of the world’s most innovative hoteliers, founder of the Southern Sun hotel group, Sun International and Kerzner International, has died of cancer surrounded by his family at the Kerzner family home, Leeukoppie Estate, in Cape Town, South Africa. Always a maverick, Kerzner was a titan of the hotel and resort industry who redefined the scale and scope of integrated destination resorts worldwide. He was 84.



The son of Russian immigrants, Kerzner was born in
Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1935. The youngest of four and the only son, Sol
was a working class boy from a rough neighbourhood but he would grow up to
become one of the most influential entrepreneurs in South Africa. Having
founded the country’s two largest hotel groups — Southern Sun and Sun
International — Kerzner would go on to achieve international prominence with
groundbreaking resorts that helped transform the tourism industries not only of
his home country but of Mauritius, The Maldives, The Bahamas, Dubai and other
important international destinations.



The complexity and sheer determination of the man is
only hinted at by the fact that at the age of 12 Sol played with the
Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra while, in the same year, he took up boxing –
initially for reasons of self-defense in the tough Bez Valley suburb where he
grew up and, later, as a serious sport. Almost needless to say, by the time he
graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with a degree in
accountancy, Kerzner was varsity welterweight champion.



For someone who lived much of his life in the public
eye, Kerzner was a surprisingly private person and although many of his former
colleagues and partners will attest to&nbsp;this remarkable man’s fighting
spirit and grit, few knew that Sol also had a softer side.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="794" height="1024" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Nelson-Mandela-Sol-Kerzner-OneOnly-Cape-Town-launch-794x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-364795" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Nelson-Mandela-Sol-Kerzner-OneOnly-Cape-Town-launch-794x1024.jpg 794w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Nelson-Mandela-Sol-Kerzner-OneOnly-Cape-Town-launch-233x300.jpg 233w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Nelson-Mandela-Sol-Kerzner-OneOnly-Cape-Town-launch-768x991.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Nelson-Mandela-Sol-Kerzner-OneOnly-Cape-Town-launch-1191x1536.jpg 1191w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Nelson-Mandela-Sol-Kerzner-OneOnly-Cape-Town-launch-1587x2048.jpg 1587w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Nelson-Mandela-Sol-Kerzner-OneOnly-Cape-Town-launch-696x898.jpg 696w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Nelson-Mandela-Sol-Kerzner-OneOnly-Cape-Town-launch-1068x1378.jpg 1068w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Nelson-Mandela-Sol-Kerzner-OneOnly-Cape-Town-launch-1920x2477.jpg 1920w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Nelson-Mandela-Sol-Kerzner-OneOnly-Cape-Town-launch-scaled.jpg 1984w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 794px) 100vw, 794px" /><figcaption>Nelson Mandela and Sol Kerzner share a special moment</figcaption></figure>



Kerzner’s career in hospitality began in 1962 when he decided to leave the accounting profession and purchased The Astra, a small inn in Durban, South Africa. Kerzner quickly transformed this rundown establishment into one of the most popular hotels in the area, a success that whetted Sol’s insatiable appetite for innovation and demonstrated a trademark ingenuity that would define his 60-year career.



Aged just 26, Kerzner became convinced that there was
in South Africa an opportunity for a hospitality offering far ahead of anything
that was available then in the country. At a time when no one thought it could
be done, Kerzner’s breakthrough project was The Beverly Hills, Umhlanga Rocks,
the first five-star hotel in all of South Africa. Built on a deserted stretch
of coastline North of Durban, once again Kerzner defied the odds and the hotel
became a great success and earned Sol a reputation as South Africa’s pre-eminent
hotelier. Kerzner went on to build the 450-room Elangeni Hotel on the Durban
beachfront and then partnered with South African Breweries to establish
Southern Sun Hotels, which by 1983 operated 30 luxury hotels encompassing more
than 7,000 keys.



Kerzner’s most monumental and controversial
achievement was the creation of Sun City.&nbsp; Here, in an area north of
Johannesburg where there were no roads and no infrastructure, Sol imagined and
delivered the most ambitious resort project in all of Africa. Commencing work
in 1975, over the next ten years, Kerzner built four hotels, a man-made lake,
two Gary Player golf courses, and an entertainment center with an indoor
6,000-seat arena, which played host to a world-class roster of artists
including Queen, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli, Shirley Bassey, as well as huge
world title fights, and many other spectacular events. Once again, Kerzner
defied the naysayers to train a best of breed workforce and to operate Sun City
on a totally non-racial basis. Even the most cynical of visiting overseas
journalists had to concede defeat in trying to find racism behind the operation
of the vast resort.



From his earliest hotels, Sol Kerzner was guided by a single driving imperative: to ‘Blow away the customer’. When scouting for locations around Durban, or later in Mauritius or The Bahamas, if Sol was not ‘blown away’ by the location, he would move on and find another stretch of beach to build the hotel and resort. ‘Second-best’ or ‘Good Enough’ was never an option for Kerzner, or for the thousands of people who worked for him from Bophuthatswana to Dubai and this rare blend of creativity and acute business acumen earned Sol a reputation and celebrity status throughout South Africa.



In 1994, following the first democratic elections in South Africa, Kerzner was asked by the newly-elected President Nelson Mandela to arrange the VIP function for the Presidential inauguration, which was attended by most of the world’s leaders and Heads of State. It was a special occasion and one that cemented Kerzner’s close relationship with the iconic world statesman who said of Sol: “He makes a difference everywhere he goes.  Sol, thank you for changing our World!” Theirs was a genuine friendship that would endure until Mandela’s own passing in 2013.



In 1994, Kerzner made his first major acquisition
outside Africa — The Paradise Island Resort in The Bahamas. Here, he launched a
major re-development and expansion project and transformed this bankrupt
property into the extravagant Atlantis Resort, a revolutionary 2,300-room
resort that included one of the world’s largest man-made marine habitats and
the Caribbean’s biggest casino. Atlantis, with its coherent theme, story and
mythical legend held massive appeal to visitors of all ages. Later expansions
at Atlantis of The Cove and The Reef hotels added a further 1,100 rooms.



By this time, Sol was working closely with his son,
Butch, whom he had persuaded to move from a promising career in corporate
finance to join him at the company, which had then been rebranded as Kerzner
International. Sol and Butch’s ascent as internationally acclaimed hoteliers
continued and in 1996 the father and son duo built their first casino resort
property in the United States — The Mohegan Sun — a property that is still
today one of the largest gaming and entertainment complexes in North America.



Reflecting on Kerzner’s international accomplishment,
Ian Douglas, a&nbsp;friend and
employee at Kerzner’s various companies for 20 years commented:&nbsp;“Sol was someone who possessed a
rare combination of creative genius, uncanny financial acuity and an
astonishing energy, which he poured into every business he touched. Nothing he
built was ever boring and he never chased the money. He only chased success. He
was always trailblazing, always in pursuit of bigger, better, new, different,
more exacting and exciting projects around the globe.”



Sol and Butch went on to launch One&amp;Only Resorts, which established award-winning luxury properties in The Bahamas, Mexico, Mauritius, The Maldives, South Africa and Dubai. True to Kerzner’s nature as an innovator and perfectionist, each One&amp;Only property was not only unique in its design and ambience, the brand set a new standard in the casual luxury resort space by offering the finest guest experience across every possible touchpoint.



In 2006, Butch Kerzner, who had recently assumed the
role of CEO of Kerzner International, was tragically killed in a helicopter
accident while scouting for sites in the Dominican Republic.&nbsp; Sol, who was
by then Executive Chairman of Kerzner International, decided to return to the
role of CEO, to continue the work of the company and to complete what he and
Butch had been working on.



Jeff Rubenstein, a lifelong friend, remembers those
difficult days well:&nbsp;“Sol believed that no matter where you come from, if
you put in the hours, you would succeed. He never used his circumstances or the
tragedies he experienced in his life as an excuse for failure.&nbsp; If tragedy
was a burden to Sol, hard work was the antidote and he himself always said,
‘you just gotta box on’”.



Kerzner proceeded to extend the Atlantis brand
globally with the development of Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai. This $1.5
billion, 1,500-room destination resort featured the largest aquarium and
waterpark in the Middle East, luxury retail outlets, and restaurants featuring
internationally renowned celebrity chefs.&nbsp; Opening in late 2008 with the
world’s largest ever fireworks display, the astonishing opening party achieved
international media acclaim and attracted celebrities and visitors from all
over the planet.



In 2009, Kerzner returned to Africa to develop the
500-room Mazagan Beach Resort in Morocco and also opened the One&amp;Only Cape
Town, situated in the famous V&amp;A Waterfront. Around the time of the launch
of the One&amp;Only Cape Town, Kerzner said, “I went back to the Beverly Hills
recently and I was so pleased to see there were still six people there who’d
been with me in 1964. It’s still a very good hotel. I think that one has to
accept that over time we will experience good times, and times that aren’t so
good. But if I look back and wonder what I would have changed and done
different, there’s not too much. I think I’ve been fortunate to have a very
broad experience of life in many ways. So, for me it’s been an interesting
journey. I have had tough times and good times and through it all I have been
determined to get it done. I can’t imagine doing anything else, it’s been a
blast. Every day that I spent in business was a joy!”



In December 2010, Kerzner’s passion for hospitality
was recognized in the Queen’s Birthday Honors list, with the award of the
insignia Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and
St. George (KCMG). Sol never used the title and was always surprised and amused
when people addressed him as ‘Sir Sol’.



In 2012, the One&amp;Only Group announced projects in
China, Australia, and Montenegro, and the following year saw the unveiling of
plans for the third Atlantis Resort on China’s Hainan Island. Proposals to
expand Atlantis, Dubai with 800 additional rooms and over 230 luxury
residential apartments in the Royal Atlantis development were also announced,
with Sol leading the planning and design of these new projects for Kerzner
International.



In 2014, Kerzner finally decided to exit Kerzner International and retired as Chairman of the company.



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Kerzner’s impact on the international resort industry
cannot be understated. From his modest start in life, Sol’s career spanned six
decades, establishing well over 80 hotel and casino properties, in more than a
dozen countries. Kerzner’s determination, perseverance, and monumental
ingenuity have truly transformed the integrated destination resort space, and
his impact on the industry can be seen and felt all over the world.



In spite of his international celebrity status and the demands of maintaining a massive business reputation, Sol always remained an intensely family-oriented person. Andrea, his daughter reflects: “Dad taught us family values — no matter how busy he was, he always made time for us, his family.  He would take a call from any one of us in the middle of an important meeting or fly half-way across the world to get to a grandchild’s birthday party. For Dad, his family were everything, his joy.”



Sol is survived by his children Andrea, Beverley,
Brandon and Chantal and ten grandchildren. His eldest son, Howard ‘Butch’
Kerzner died in 2006.



Sol Kerzner will be buried at a small, private funeral
with only immediate family in attendance.

Sol Kerzner

The sun has set on Sol Kerzner, the Sun king

South African finance minister Tito Mboweni held a priceless piece of history in his hands but tossed it the bin in the snows of Switzerland. It would have been worth a fortune today. 



The pile of paper in question contained a speech by the then president- in-waiting Nelson Mandela who was the star of the World Economic Forum in Davos back in 1991. Fresh from 27 years in prison, Mandela addressed the forum and earned a 10-minute standing ovation before he uttered a word.



READ: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/zdnl-mc/2020/01/16/sas-finance-minister-how-rats-and-thieves-are-nibbling-and-pilfering-sas-pockets/">SA’s Finance Minister: How rats and thieves are nibbling and pilfering SA’s pockets</a>



Mandela was also trying to negotiate his way to power by carrying the wishes of the rank-and-file African National Conference members. On the cusp of power they wanted nationalisation of the banks and mines as laid down in the country’s sacred Freedom Charter penned by liberation activists in 1955. 



READ: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/2020/01/16/this-is-how-sa-will-sell-its-investment-case-at-wef-2020/">This is how SA will sell its investment case at WEF 2020</a>



Mandela has laboured over a hand written speech promising nationalisation as
a cornerstone of a socialist economy. At the time, with globalisation on the
march, it would have gone down like a lead balloon with foreign investors who
were already edgy about the ANC, that had not long put down its weapons, taking
over the then biggest economy in Africa.



Mboweni recalled that among the first people Mandela met with in Davos, as
he worked on his nationalisation speech, were leaders of the communist parties
in Vietnam and China. 



&#8220;Both of them said to him we are leaders of communist parties we have
economic liberalisation programmes on our agenda. They said leading a national
liberation movement and we are leading communist movements how come you are
more radical than us?&#8221;



But ANC advisors persuaded Mandela to throw the speech away and the young
31-year-old exiled activist, duly cast the pile of papers in the bin.



“He was persuaded that a very long speech on nationalisation might be appropriate
for another forum but not Davos,” says Mboweni at the breakfast on the road to
Davos held at a Rosebank hotel in Johannesburg Thursday.&nbsp;



“It was a big pile of paper. My biggest regret is that I threw it away
because it is part of history and it would be worth a fortune now. The one we
used was only about three pages.”



Those three pages changed history and ushered in a golden decade of growth
and prosperity. Foreign investors, encouraged by swift free market reforms and
easing of exchange controls, queued up to invest in the new South Africa when
Mandela took power in 1994. GDP growth peaked at around 5% in 2005; fourteen
years on the country’s battered economy, plagued by power cuts, is struggling
to make one per cent.



“It’s no longer 1994!” exclaimed one business editor at the road to Davos
breakfast when asked about the country’s current new investment prospects in
Switzerland , “South Africa is just another small country in a big and more
complicated world.”



Fair enough. There are those in business who feel that South Africa didn’t
cash in enough on those gilded days of the Mandela feel good factor and is now
paying the price in the current difficult world economic climate. Many of them
are probably right. &nbsp;&nbsp;

How Tito Mboweni tossed a fortune into the bin

&nbsp;By Chris Bishop



He was one of the big names in business in Africa; as
gentlemanly. as he was shrewd. He fought the odds and apartheid to stake his
place in business and inspire millions of his countrymen to do the same.



Richard Maponya – the doyen of black business in South
Africa – passed away in the early hours of January 6, after a short illness.
Maponya turned 99 on Christmas Eve near the end of a long and fruitful life
that saw him dine with the Queen, laugh with Bill Clinton and chauffer his old
friend Nelson Mandela. Mandela asked Maponya, who owned a car dealership, to
pick him up at the airport in Johannesburg after his release from prison in
1990. 



Ï picked him up at the airport and that was the most
frightening time of my life. We were chased by people on foot, helicopters,
motorbikes and cars. Everyone just wanted to touch Mandela. They could kill him
just trying to touch him,” Maponya recalled to Forbes Africa in a cover story
in March 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 



Mandela was a close friend of Maponya since the 1950s. The
future president, then a young lawyer&nbsp;&nbsp;
helped Maponya set up his first business against the restrictive
apartheid laws that shackled black business. 



Maponya wanted to open a clothing store in Soweto,
Johannesburg; the authorities said no. Mandela lost the fight for the clothing
store, but did manage to secure him a license to trade daily necessities. This
opened the way for Maponya to start out with a milk delivery business that was
to prove the foundation of his fortune.



More than half a century on, Mandela, then a former president
of South Africa, beamed with pride, in 2007, as he opened the first shopping
mall in Soweto. 



Maponya Mall had taken the canny businessman a good deal of
patience to put together. He acquired the land in 1979 – the first black man to
secure a 100-year lease for land in Soweto – and spent many more years building
up the mall.



“Ï fought for 27 years for that mall and was many times
denied; they actually thought I was dreaming. When Nelson Mandela cut the
ribbon to open the mall, that was the highlight of my life,” Maponya said years
later. 



It was a mile on a road less travelled by Maponya in a long
journey from the tiny township of Lenyenye in Limpopo in northern South Africa
where he was born. He moved across the province to Polokwane to train as a
teacher and then, like many young men of his generation, moved south to
Johannesburg in search of his fortune.



In those days, the gold mining city was booming, but only the
few saw the fruits. Maponya was blocked at every turn as he tried to make his
way in business; he won through making a fortune from property, horse racing,
retail, cars and liquor. 



Maponya mentored many black entrepreneurs and inspired many
millions more he had never met. One of them was Herman Mashaba, the former
mayor of Johannesburg, who made his own fortune with hair care products.



“To myself and the people I grew up with he was an
inspiration to all of us to get into business…If he had started out in business
in a normal world there is no doubt he would have been even bigger than he
was,” Mashaba told CNBC Africa.



Maponya will be mourned by the millions who were inspired to
follow him and by a business world that is richer, in more ways than one, for his
nearly a century of hard work in which retirement was never an option.



“People who retire are lazy people. You retire and do what?
Bask in the sun?&nbsp; I am not that type of
man,” he said in 2017 at the age of 96.



He could never be. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

maponya

The life and wisdom of business doyen Richard Maponya

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Sad news breaking this morning. Richard Maponya – an icon of black businesspeople in South Africa and beyond, died in the early hours of this morning. Maponya was one of the trailblazers in his country who inspired generations to fight for a place in business. Maponya’s was born in the tiny township of Lenyenye in Limpopo in northern South Africa. He moved across the province to Polokwane where he trained as a teacher. Like many young men of his day he journeyed south to Johannesburg in search of work. The then apartheid laws were stacked against him but Maponya, with sheer grit and determination, worked his way up in business regardless. He started with butcheries and grocery stores and crowned it with opening up Soweto’s first shopping mall at the dawn of democracy in 1994. In a colourful life he dined with the Queen and could count friends from Bill Clinton to Nelson Mandela and Nicky Oppenhiemer. One of his many friends, former Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba joins CNBC Africa to talk about the legacy of Richard Maponya.

Richard Maponya – A beacon of hope to millions

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Sheila Sisulu shares fond memories of the late struggle icon Nelson Mandela with CNBC Africa&#8217;s Lubabalo Mashiqana.

Sheila Sisulu shares fond memories of the late struggle icon Nelson Mandela

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Today five years ago the global icon, Nelson Mandela passed away. The man synonymous with freedom of South Africa died in hospital after prolonged illness. CNBC Africa has gone out to some centers where his memories and spirit live on like Liliesleaf Farm turned museum in Rivonia. CNBC Africa&#8217;s Chris Bishop spoke to Nic Wolpe, CEO of the Liliesleaf Trust on the history contained by this museum which once housed Madiba.

Liliesleaf Trust CEO Nic Wolpe on preserving the Madiba legacy

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From now on there will be a seat in South Africa that will forever remind people who sit on it of the cramped struggle and years of endurance of Nelson Mandela. CNBC Africa’s Lubabalo Mashiqana reports.

iMadiba installation launched in Sandton

By Zikhona Masala, CNBC Africa reporter and producer
As the world celebrates 100 years since the birth of struggle icon, Nelson Mandela, we can’t ignore the growing list of things named after the former statesman from restaurants to streets across the globe. Here are 18 of the not so obvious.
<ol>
<li>Nelson Mandela Train Station </li>
</ol>
A train station in Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia.
<ol start="2">
<li>Singafrotypa Mandela </li>
</ol>
 An African orb-weaver spider which belongs to the spider family called Araneidae.
<ol start="3">
<li>Paravanda Nelson Mandela</li>
</ol>
An orchid in Singapore named after Nelson Mandela.
<ol start="4">
<li>Mandela Tea</li>
</ol>
 A tea brand specialising in making indigenous South African flavours.
<ol start="5">
<li>Nelson Mandela Tree</li>
</ol>
 A tree named after Mandela in Columbia.
<ol start="6">
<li>Strelitzia reginae also known as Mandela’s Gold</li>
</ol>
 A crane flower previously called the Kirstenbosch Gold which was later renamed in honour of Nelson Mandela.
<ol start="7">
<li>House of Mandela Wine</li>
</ol>
 A wine collection produced by the daughter and granddaughter of the late South African President Nelson Mandela.
<ol start="8">
<li>Australopicus nelsonmandelai </li>
</ol>
The oldest woodpecker species whose remains were unearthed at the Langebaanweg fossil site named in South Africa&#8217;s south-west coast.
<ol start="9">
<li>Mandelia Micocornata</li>
</ol>
 A sea slug named by Marine biologists.
<ol start="10">
<li>Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University </li>
</ol>
The result of the merging of the University of Port Elizabeth and PE Technikon in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
<ol start="11">
<li>Nelson Mandela Bridge</li>
</ol>
South Africa’s largest cable-stayed bridge which connects Johannesburg’s inner city.
<ol start="12">
<li>Nelson Mandela Square</li>
</ol>
A public shopping square situated in Sandton, Johannesburg in Africa’s richest square mile.
<ol start="13">
<li>Nelson Mandela Gateway </li>
</ol>
The gateway to Robben Island Prison in Cape Town where South African freedom fighters were imprisoned.
<ol start="14">
<li>Nelson Mandela Capture Site</li>
</ol>
The site at which Nelson Mandela was apprehended for his anti-Apartheid activism in August 1952.
<ol start="15">
<li>MandelaDay Marathon</li>
</ol>
 Mandela Day Marathon venue is just next to the site where Madiba was captured.
<ol start="16">
<li>Madiba Shirts</li>
</ol>
The shirts became Madiba’s trademark clothing item. FUN FACT: Sonwabile Ndamase who was Nelson Mandela’s designer the shirts were not a fashion statement but were because of the former statesman’s health.
<ol start="17">
<li>Nelson Mandela Coins</li>
</ol>
 An edition of the Protea coin series in honour of Nelson Mandela.
<ol start="18">
<li>Mandela Particle</li>
</ol>
 A fragment of matter found in the 70s.

18 Unusual things named in honour of Nelson Mandela that you probably never heard of

The world is celebrating the memory and legacy of one of Africa’s most illustrious leaders, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. This year is special because it’s the <a href="https://www.nelsonmandela.org/nelson-mandela-100">centenary celebration</a> of his birth. His leadership was important in reprioritising humanity and dignity by emphasising forgiveness and reconciliation, the protection of human rights, respect for all, and equal opportunity. Thabo Leshilo asked Cheryl Hendricks and Keith Gottschalk to reflect on <a href="http://ewn.co.za/2018/07/17/obama-s-best-quotes-from-the-mandelalecture">Barack Obama’s speech</a> commemorating Mandela’s legacy.
<hr />
Did Obama strike the right chord?
Cheryl Hendricks: Obama was chosen to give this important lecture because he represented a great deal of what Mandela stood for. And because he provided hope and inspiration for a better world during his tenure as president.
His lecture struck the right chord. It was a forceful reminder of how far humanity has come over the past century – as well as the world’s current tensions and uncertainties. It was also a reminder of how we need to keep the hope and spirit alive of a world in which social justice and democracy can prevail. A world in which tolerance, inclusivity and the pursuit of a common good is the norm.
<a href="http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/nelson-rolihlahla-mandela">Mandela</a> was a humble, visionary, leader of international stature seeking to bridge the divides between the North and the South to promote a common humanity, to reinvigorate multilateralism, to fight inequality and provide a moral compass for the world.
His ideas about attaining peace in Africa through negotiations and mediation and creating more inclusive societies is one that still shapes conflict management on the continent. In South Africa his contribution remains his vision of a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic society that eschewed tribalism and patronage politics, and that promoted collective and servant leadership. He was a unifier in a deeply racially divided society.
But the last decade has seen a shift from Mandela’s vision – globally, continentally and nationally. Globally, multilateralism is under threat by rogue states, “America first” forms of engagement with its stress on national interests, and the return to militarised solutions for resolving conflicts.
For its part, the continent has lost its way in implementing the ideals of pan-Africanism. Today it’s more constrained by narrow nationalist and authoritarian politics, and by high levels of poverty and inequality.
Mandela’s legacy was probably under the most threat in South Africa itself where we had deviated substantively from integrity, humility, non-racialism, participation, eradicating inequality and empowering all.
Obama’s speech was powerful because it drew on all these themes.
Keith Gottschalk: Speaking for nearly two hours, Obama set current world events against the arc of history. His speech made a fitting centennial address for Madiba, and went down well with the frequently applauding crowd of 15 000.
What are the three most important things to take away from the speech?
Cheryl Hendricks: His key points were firstly that we are at a crossroads. What we have built and achieved over the last 100 years is being contested by those who espouse the politics of fear and resentment, fuelled by the contradictions of globalisation, failures of governance and political elites that have assumed a monopoly of power. This is manifested in xenophobia, terrorism, chauvinism, narrow nationalism, gender inequality, economic greed and authoritarianism.
It’s in direct opposition to the values, ideals and principles embodied by Madiba and the many who fought for democracy and freedom. It is uncertain which one will win. But that we need to resist the cynicism, the divisions, hatred, corruption and be guided by universal principals, love, and servant collective leadership.
Secondly, our biggest challenge is technology. Artificial intelligence threatens job security and forces us to find creative ways of generating employment.
Thirdly, democracy is still the best vehicle to achieve social justice. But it needs to be about more than just holding elections. It must be part of civic culture, and driven by young people who are passionate about building a new society.
Obama’s message is a timely one for South Africa and the world as they struggle with the complexities and contradictions of globalisation and the retreat into the politics reminiscent of an unequal authoritarian past.
He reminded us of our own duties and responsibilities to protect our democratic gains, and to continue the quest for a just, free world where all can enjoy dignity. That we are bound together, interdependent, and therefore have a common destiny. This fact should shape how we interact with one another. It’s about promoting active citizenship and the transformation of global governance institutions.
Keith Gottschalk: First, Obama pointed out that the first two decades of the 21st Century saw the world freer, healthier and wealthier than ever before. Globalisation lifted one billion people out of poverty. Violators of human rights feel on the defensive. We have reduced the prospects of war.
But he also pointed out that the previous structures of oppression and exploitation were never fully dislodged. Racial discrimination can still be found – in the US as well as South Africa.
Unlike those who predicted the triumph of liberal democracy, there are contesting narratives pitting race, ethnicity, tribalism, nationalism, or religion against not only the West, but against modernity.
We have to address the fears of those who feel left out or left behind by globalisation. We must work harder and smarter to realise Madiba’s vision for freedom.
Strong men politicians are on the ascendancy, hiding behind façade of elections, while harassing their opponents and the media.
And we have to believe in the facts. Some politicians now make stuff up, and when caught out lying show no sense of shame.
Second, unlike some free market fundamentalists, Obama more than once made the point that if we want to work for freedom, we have to fight inequality. Where you have extreme economic inequality, the wealthy elite will have wildly disproportionate political influence. We need to keep protesting and keep resisting. We need inclusive education, collective bargaining rights, and to break up monopolies. You must worry about economics if you want to get democracy to work.
Third, the struggle for basic freedoms and justice is never truly finished. Human rights require us to recognise the humanity in all persons. These are not western ideals but universal ideals. Schools should teach not blind obedience, but critical thinking.
Democracy is about more than just elections. It means listening to opposing views, not only the ones you agree with. It means working with your enemies, so they become your partners.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100141/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />Ultimately, right makes might. Madiba is an example of the politics of resilience and hope; never give in to cynicism. We need a collective spirit – young people are hope carriers. Keep believing in the vision; keep marching; keep building; raise your voice.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cheryl-hendricks-267661">Cheryl Hendricks</a>, Executive director, Africa Institute of South Africa, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/human-sciences-research-council-2144">Human Sciences Research Council</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/keith-gottschalk-115227">Keith Gottschalk</a>, Political Scientist, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-western-cape-1018">University of the Western Cape</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/obama-pays-tribute-to-mandela-and-invites-the-world-to-find-its-better-angels-100141">original article</a>.

Key points to take away from Obama’s speech paying tribute to Nelson Mandela

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We are five days away from national commemoration of Nelson Mandela&#8217;s centenary and in celebration of that, The South African Reserve Bank is launching new commemorative bank notes and coins in Pretoria today. CNBC Africa&#8217;s Aviwe Mtila was in attendance and spoke to Ndileka Mandela, Social Activist and the first grandchild of the late statesman&#8217;s first child.

Ndileka Mandela on the new Nelson Mandela notes

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The role of the youth in the development of the African continent has often been undermined; this according to Nikiwe Bam, of The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa.

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The last survivor of a defiant dance with death and Nelson Mandela is laid to rest.

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Liliesleaf Trust CEO on the life of ANC struggle stalwart Denis Goldberg

The sun has set on Sol Kerzner, the Sun king

How Tito Mboweni tossed a fortune into the bin

The life and wisdom of business doyen Richard Maponya

Richard Maponya – A beacon of hope to millions

Sheila Sisulu shares fond memories of the late struggle icon Nelson Mandela

Liliesleaf Trust CEO Nic Wolpe on preserving the Madiba legacy

iMadiba installation launched in Sandton

18 Unusual things named in honour of Nelson Mandela that you probably never heard of

Key points to take away from Obama’s speech paying tribute to Nelson Mandela

Ndileka Mandela on the new Nelson Mandela notes

The role of the youth in Africa’s growth

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Nelson Mandela

Remembering George Bizos: A pillar of SA’s democracy

Human rights lawyer George Bizos dies at 92

The last survivor of a defiant dance with death and Nelson Mandela is laid to rest.

OPINION: How the death of George Floyd should make South Africa ask: where is the next Nelson Mandela?

Why 95-year-old struggle stalwart Andrew Mlangeni was “happy and proud” about a life sentence.

Liliesleaf Trust CEO on the life of ANC struggle stalwart Denis Goldberg

The sun has set on Sol Kerzner, the Sun king

How Tito Mboweni tossed a fortune into the bin

The life and wisdom of business doyen Richard Maponya

Richard Maponya – A beacon of hope to millions

Sheila Sisulu shares fond memories of the late struggle icon Nelson Mandela

Liliesleaf Trust CEO Nic Wolpe on preserving the Madiba legacy

iMadiba installation launched in Sandton

18 Unusual things named in honour of Nelson Mandela that you probably never heard of

Key points to take away from Obama’s speech paying tribute to Nelson Mandela

Ndileka Mandela on the new Nelson Mandela notes

The role of the youth in Africa’s growth

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