Behind the obvious shock of the result, there was something even more remarkable about the relatively unknown South African Louis Oosthuizen winning the 2010 British Open Golf Championship at 200-1. For a white Africaaner to begin his Open winning speech by wishing Nelson Mandela a happy birthday and admitting that while he was walking down the 18th fairway, with his seven shot lead meaning that he could really enjoy it, he was thinking about Mr Mandela is quite an astounding sign of the seismic change that Oosthuizen’s homeland has experienced and showcased around the world over these past twenty years. Those words of Oosthuizen need to be given special pondering anywhere that communities find themselves divided.
When Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990 he did more than convince his own oppressed people to desist from the karma justice of bloody revenge. The most fantastic thing that this man, who in physical weakness but strength of spirit celebrated his 92nd birthday on Oosthuizen’s big day, achieved was to capture the social imaginings of an entire generation of white South Africans whose parents and grandparents saw Mandela as nothing but a black terrorist. In my travels in South Africa over these past 15 years I have never ceased to be amazed at how families are split by age in their admiration or utter disrespect for the statesman of the century. It works its way out in the relationship that the over forties and under forties have with their black neighbours. Many of the younger ones are working in the townships to bring development and relief, a place their parents would never even dare to venture into.
That Oosthuizen had as his caddy perhaps the only black person that I saw the entire week in St Andrews, certainly on the course, is what I am talking about. Yes, golf is another environment with aa big a race and class divide as anywhere else on the planet, one of the reasons I did not pursue my love for it in my youth, but here again the new Open Champion was flouting the stereotype by commending his black caddy’s contribution to his historic win. In Cape Town the township caddies have a five hole course that they have created precariously on the fringe of the N2 motorway and some play off a very low handicap. Ernie Els Foundation that has been commended so much for giving Oosthuizen a hand up should perhaps turn its attention to those said caddies; maybe the Louis Oosthuizen Foundation will!
But back to Mandela. How he captured that social imagining needs to be looked at and learned from. Not only in the words he said but in his gracious and courageous actions he won the hearts of a traditional enemy or at least that enemy’s children. The story his secretary in the Presidential office tells of how she looked at him with a little loathing and lot of suspicion when he arrived and how very quickly he charmed her in genuine humility, grace and neighbourly love. In the same way at a national level his donning of that Spingbok top for the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final as recently portrayed in the big selling movie Invictus. Mandela was a unique human being, finding the depth of character to survive the mental and physical torture of Africaaner prisons and then the charisma to capture the imagination of a nation and carry all its rainbow colours towards truth and reconciliation.
So inside the amazing sports story of a seeming outsider winning golf’s greatest prize on the sport’s greatest course was this other amazing story; without question the most amazing story in the world’s recent history. Well done on the course and in your speech Louis and happy birthday Madiba! Another little glint of hope shines around the world!
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