I know this is interesting but can anyone tell clearly how/why Mandela is refered to as 'African Hero'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1454208.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6905088.stm

what criteria to be fullfiled before you become african hero?

who determine what the criteria should be?

By going to jail for about the average lifespan of an African.

@denex,

By going to jail for about the average lifespan of an African.

umm, so africa hero does not have to be someone that improve the life of africans?'

Just pulling your leg. Mandela tried small. But the greatest African Hero of Modern time is Emperor Haile Selasie I. But they don't like mentioning him in european or texts because the man no let them colonise am.

denex:

Just pulling your leg. Mandela tried small. But the greatest African Hero of Modern time is Emperor Haile Selasie I. But they don't like mentioning him in european or texts because the man no let them colonise am.

Haile Selasie was an arrogant imperialist.
Mandela is a saint in Africa. The man is a legend in his own time. The number one patriot of Africa. If he wanted, he could have been president for life. he promised to and only served one term of office.
He sacrefised his youth and life for his people and nation. He caould have profited and become immensely rich like our thieving leaders in Nigeria, but he chose not to.

The only person in Africa who could have been compared to Mandela, is Julius Nyerere of Tanzania. 'The Mualimu' gentleman teacher, only served one term in office after helping his nation attain independence.

Only Nigeria leaders worthy of aclaim are all dead. Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo, Sarduana of Sokoto, Nnamdi Azikwe. No leaders alive today will ever attin any such acclaim. Not 'third term cum life president and life BOT chairman' Obanasty Thieving Obasanjo. Not Yar'Adua (who is an illegimate president) nor any of the kleptocratic thugs who now call themselves leaders!

Imperialist Abi? Because he didn't let the Europeans imperialise his country, he has become an imperialist. Where did he expand his empire to?

He is the greatest African of recent history.

denex:

Imperialist Abi? Because he didn't let the Europeans imperialise his country, he has become an imperialist. Where did he expand his empire to?

He is the greatest African of recent history.

Yes he kept colonialist at bay, he was by no means the greatest African hero!
He ruled an autocratic and imperial country. He named himself Emperor, is that not imperial? He also colonised Eritrea. (Now that is hstory for you kid!)

some legends are not worth disputing. this is definitely one of them.

Apart from his prison exploits, he did what Africans have struggled to do in the post colonial era- Give up power.

Many men can face down Obstacles, but few men can handle power.

Mandela I salute you

Guys,

The number one patriot of Africa. If he wanted, he could have been president for life. he promised to and only served one term of office.

Apart from his prison exploits, he did what Africans have struggled to do in the post colonial era- Give up power.

so if a leader voluntary give up power, this qualify for African Hero?

What am driving at is for us to have a criteria for defining 'africa hero' otherwise we have outsider(non-africans) deciding for africa who is 'african hero'

@Babasin

Well in the African context yes

[quote author=babasin link=topic=67471.msg1311819#msg1311819 date=1185037

What am driving at is for us to have a criteria for defining 'africa hero' otherwise we have outsider(non-africans) deciding for africa who is 'african hero'
[quote][/quote]
Outsiders were the ones who dubbed him an African hero. He has done enough for all Africans to be proud to call him a hero.

He is ways above any living African leader in patriotism!

Although Selassie I was a very honorable man, I consider him to be mainly a hero to his own country. I will say that he set a good example to other African nations and we (all other Afro nations) even admired him so much that we adopted their flag colors in part or whole.  I don't know much of what he did for Africa as a whole or even other Africa countries to be considered a Hero for the Whole of Africa. But if anyone has info showing he did, I'll keep an open mind in considering a Hero to Africa.
He was an African hero, but not a hero to the entire continent. but he's still a hero in my book for what he did and warding off Europeans in his country.

Although Selassie I was a very honorable man, I consider him to be mainly a hero to his own country.

so what has Mandela done for example to dafur or Mauritania? that he is referred as 'Africa Hero'

Emperor Haile Selassie I mobilized for the Unity of all Africans. From South Africa, West Africa, to as far as the Caribean.

Emperor Haile Selassie I spent his at Fairfield House in the city of Bath, UK which he bought. After his return to Ethiopia, he donated he donated it to the city of Bath as a residence for the aged, and it remains so till today.

There is something very selfindulgent about all the unite Africa proclaimers.

You can now add Gaddafi to their list.

The whole idea is as preposterous as Marcus Garvey buying rickety ships to transport african americans to africa.

As preposterous as Cotton in Harlem

In 1954, he became the first head of state to visit West Germany at the end of the Second World Was, signalling the acceptance of Germany back to the world as a peaceful nation.

He donated blankets made by the Debre Birhan Blanket Factory in Ethiopia to the then war torn Germany.

He pursued a firm policy of decolonization of Africa which at that time was still largely under European rule.

Emperor Haile Selassie I successfull negotiated an end to border Conflicts between Algeria and Morocco.

He was usually given precedence over other heads of state at international events. These include events of foreign countries such as the celebration of 2500 years of the Persian empire, JFK's burial and Charles de Gaule's burial.

He was time magazine man of the year as far back as 1930.

In 1970, he condemned the sale of weapons by Britain to Apatheid South Africa and made it clear that Africans were prepared to stop this even by means of violence.

All hail the Emperor.

Lion of the tribe of Judah

I am not one for cult worship so Mandela or the Emperor, I really don't give a toss.

On the other hand if I were boxed into a corner- these are my choices:

1 Ali Farka Toure

2 Fela

3 Wole Soyinka

4 Chinua Achebe

in no particular order

I must say, I laughed when I saw your list. To compare Wole Soyinka to Mandela is really something.

Well I trying to make a point, that there is no standard that is universal to judge this thing.

And the more we are varied in our cult worship, the easier it is for us to avoid the prospects of genocide. remember Ojukwu and the Sardauna .

By the way y pick on only Soyinka from the list.

Do u agree with the other three then.

@denex
so what happened between the Emperor and the Italians?

I don't know the first name.

Maybe if I go to the library on Monday or see anything substantial on the net.

But to consider a man who helped win World War II, mobilised the independence of most of Africa and the formation of the Organization of African Unity (O.A.U) that gave rise to the AU we have today. Please, there are very few human beings worldwide that can compare to Haile Selassie I.

By the way, I'm not one of those that worship him. I'm following his track record.

How many Africans in the history of mankind have ever given "hope" to Europeans or even been respected so much.

Selassie helped win World war 2. You give me jokes

Formed the OAU- an organisation akin to a JAWS with no teeth.

mobilised Independence. Shame they did not have the foresight to arrange for what would come afterwards.

By the way. He was sidelined by one common Army Officer, Mengistu, conspiracy or no conspiracy.

Give me Toure's blues, Soyinka's bombast, Fela's activism or Achebe's authentic African voice anyday.

Thomas Sankara is definitely an African hero. Perhaps, my favorite to ever rule any African country.

I gotta ask this, how come Nigerian Leaders have not had much of an impact on global affairs as their counterparts. Definitely Mandela stands head and shoulders above them, but there is Nkrumah of Ghana, Nyerere of Tanzania and quite a few others. Zik did not have the aura of his counterparts, while Awolowo, as popular as he was, his idealogies were confined to regional politics. Abiola who probably would have made a name was more or less known as an African businessman.

About Sankara- Did he not study the example in Nigeria, and the disaster that occurs when young officers in their thirties decide they can rule their country.

Good guitarist tho.

Should have stuck to music.

That man appeared to be authentic and it is very unfortunate that he met his death at a young age. Banning female circumcision, practising what he espoused, by adopting a modest lifestyle, among others that he implemented shows that he was a man of character.