Michael Cassidy, the founder of African Enterprise, worked with Nelson Mandela who died on December 5.
Here is Michael’s tribute to Nelson Mandela and a request to pray for South Africa now that he has gone.
‘The moment South Africa has in many ways been dreading has come upon us and our Madiba has ended his long earthly walk to freedom. Nelson Mandela has died and South Africa is bereft. The country will never have a greater son nor one who left a greater legacy. We need to pray that the values he sought to bequeath to us of forgiveness, reconciliation, large-heartedness, non-racialism and true democracy benefiting all should not be in any way compromised or abandoned, but re-embraced with renewed commitment and deep resolve.
Gratitude
‘If as a nation we can do this, it will constitute the best expression of gratitude possible to this great man who has left our midst. We covet your prayers for our entire country at this time, that stability, peace and a new sense of racial harmony will prevail. We know you will also remember his loved ones, his family, not to mention those who seek to give continued political leadership to South Africa at this time. God bless South Africa. God bless you all.’
Meeting Mandela
Michael met Mandela on a number of occasions. On one occasion in Pietermaritzburg in 1992, Michael presented Mandela with a copy of Billy Graham’s Peace with God as requested and personally signed by the evangelist.
During their conversation Mandela told Michael that he never missed a Bible study or church service while he was in prison. He also said that while he was in prison he had been ‘much blessed’ by a sermon he had heard on television by Dr. Billy Graham.
On Mandela’s first visit to the United States after his release in 1990, he asked to meet with Dr. Graham but the meeting fell through when Dr. Graham was hospitalised with a leg complaint.
Project Ukuthula
Later, in 1996, Michael was to work with Mandela at his request, along with Bishop Makhaye and Bishop Mmutlanyane Mogoba on ‘Project Ukuthula’, (Zulu for peace). This occurred during a time when 20 people a day in KwaZulu-Natal were dying because of conflict between ANC and IFP Zulus. This was threatening the holding of the province’s first Provincial Elections. ‘We politicians cannot fix this thing,’ confessed President Mandela, ‘maybe you church people can do it.’
Thus was launched ‘Project Ukuthula’. In her book, African Harvest (1), which tells the story of Michael Cassidy’s contribution during South Africa’s transition to black majority rule, Anne Coomes writes: ‘The three Christian leaders were in almost daily contact with KwaZulu-Natal Premier Frank Mdlalose, Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and other key players on different sides of the conflict. In the next six weeks, led by the Natal church leaders and African Enterprise, the Christians of Natal were activated into the mechanisms of peacemaking and reconciliation. Christians in the police, the military, the media, schools, industry, business or wherever, were urged to change the rhetoric of violence and talk peace and pursue it. Once again, as in 1994, multitudes in the churches committed it all constantly to prayer.
‘As “Project Ukuthula” advanced under the Natal church leadership and African Enterprise, so the death rate dwindled. By the time the elections were due, the daily death rate was down to zero. As the provincial elections went ahead in peace, Time magazine again commented on three of the most peaceful days in KwaZulu-Natal in several years’.
