Time Of Apartheid History

The Apartheid is an indelible part of South Africa’s history. This is a time that would go down in history as the worst in the history of South Africa. Nelson Mandela is known as one of the greatest South African leaders who fought to end Apartheid in the nation. Clint Eastwood’s film Invictus revolves around Nelson Mandela’s efforts to bring together a nation that had been emotional, psychologically, and physically divided for 50 years by the Apartheid. Upon his election as the first black South African president, an event that was characterized by sharp criticism and objection from the white population in the country.

It was very difficult to lead a country divided by racial lines; therefore, Mandela was faced with the challenge of reconciling a nation plagued by the spirit of Apartheid. The 1995 Rugby World Cup is when Nelson Mandela along with the Springboks captain Francois demonstrated exemplary leadership skills aimed at uniting the country through the game.

Nelson Mandela exhibits transformational leadership skills. Mandela takes over a country which is overly divided through racial lines, however, his essence of leadership enables him to work towards bridging the gap that exists. Mandela as a leader expected more from himself; he viewed that he could do more than expected of him in order to transform his society. Through the Springbok rugby team, he inspired them not only to strive to their best but also become better than it is expected of them. The team knew that they were the best but could not beat New Zealand; however, the inspiration they got from Mandela’s confidence in them and the spirit of unity made them triumph over their arch-rivals.

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Mandela also exhibited a strategic vision of what he wants the country to be. In the film, Mandela does not encourage division based on race; he incorporates both races equally in his government.

In his security detail, Mandela makes both the blacks and the whites work together; he makes his vision clear to them when the blacks complained about working with the whites.  The working together of the whites and the blacks in his security showed the trust he had on both races; he exemplified that there is no better race than the other. This acted as a role model to the rest of the nation; this contributed to the unity experienced later on in the film during the Springbok games. The essence of his leadership is based on forgiveness as a tool for transforming the country. He believed that the power of pardoning is greater than the spirit of revenge; this paid off during the end of the film where the whole country was united especially after the Springbok final match. President Mandela and Francois Pienaar demonstrate some of the best leadership skills that help in uniting the country. Nelson Mandela shows that he is a humble leader in more than one instance in the film for instance, in the scene where he serves the tea himself, he never waited on anyone to do so.

This exhibited his servant leadership; he showed that he was ready to work for the people. This is despite the fact that tea was seen as a symbol of the British imperialism, he kept an open mind and took the tea to show that the whites and the blacks can as well share not only the tea but also every other aspect of the society. This demonstrated the end of the apartheid regime and embraced a new era of inclusivity and equality. The character that shows that Mandela is a great leader is his visionary leadership. He never saw himself as a leader for one race, but the leader of one united country. This is why he made it his priority to work on first uniting the country. Francois Pienaar, the Springbok’s captain, also demonstrates some of the best philosophies of leadership. Francois leads by example; he believes that those who lead as an example to the team are hardworking, focused, and trustworthy.

These characteristics lead him to be a good listener, though he is a great player and has exemplary and has exemplary skills in the game, he still finds President Mandela’s advice important. He understands that the president has great life experience and listening to him would help the team; he gives the president full attention. By doing this, he also exhibits respect for his seniors. He is also a great inspiration to the team; he encourages the team through song and other strategies to motivate the team even though they were facing a tough opponent. He understands that the team was a symbol of national unity, he could not see a divided team. He also knew that he had the task of bringing the nation together; this was determined by whether the team was united or not.

William Ernest Henley poem Invictus plays a great part in South Africa’s unity. It is based on the philosophy that no matter what situation puts you down, it is important to get up and forge on. As described in the second stanza of the poem, ‘In the fell clutch of circumstance,/I have not winced nor cried aloud./Under the bludgeonings of chance,/My head is bloody but unbowed’ (Henley, n.d). As the president, Mandela knew that South Africa was in a bad state, it was a wounded society, however, despite the challenges, it was time to pull themselves together and lead a unified life. He knew that as a leader, it was his role to show the people the right way to follow, a life of forgiveness and embracing each other as brothers.

The demonstration by the Springboks showed that the impact of a team has on the society or any other organization. Supporting one team draws people together despite their differences, it forges friendship and the strive for a common goal. The South Africans through the Springbok team revolutionized the future of South Africa, which had been plagued by decades of Apartheid. A team can bring a school, community, and organizations together; it fosters good co-existence. There is a lot to take away from the film; great leadership skills and the impact of unity have on a society. Invictus is not just another film, but an inspiration. Nelson Mandela did not only intend for the Springbok rugby team to win the world cup, but it had a larger perspective on the people of South Africa. It was a way in which he could achieve his goal of uniting the country. It was a chance for him to impact the society with the value of being united, something which turned around the nation for the better.