A Tale of Two African Presidents: Mubarak and Mandela

One hides in his palace and sends thugs and security policy to kill his own people; the other was on the death row line for his people. One has reached the heights of power and influence only to step down ceremoniously, the other is being dragged down alas at the blood and sweat of his own youth. Egyptians pray that Mubarak leaves town in peace, South Africans pray that Mandela leaves hospital in peace.

Nelson Mandela

Hosni Mubarek

Here is a tyrant of Egypt who ruled over Egypt all my life time. One whose face and stature is virtually inseparable to the image of his country; with his whitewashed marble offices and huge smile welcoming in and sending off dignitaries-usually American envoys. His rule relied on a strong backing of Egypt’s popular and modern Army. Its authoritarian and repressive wheels are oiled by the security service, known for its technologies of rape, torture, intimidation and random assaults.
Egypt is a strong middle income economy but with raging population growth, high unemployment rates, corruption and nepotism. Neither its economy nor its politics left any space for teeming youth, sweltering under the heat of authoritarianism, to breathe. Secular by Middle Eastern standards, the most usual distracters were music and sports. Later this September, Egypt’s presidential election were planned to be held in which Mubarak, rumors had it, planned to be replaced by his son. When Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution broke out in Tunisia, it became the last straw which broke the camel’s back in Egypt.

Beginning from the first Friday’s march from mosques and Tuesday’s million men march; the Egyptian youth turned out in droves to tear down the images of Mubarak, to vent their anger against fear and oppression and to call for the immediate downfall of Mubarak’s regime. Tahrir square truly became a liberation square- this time liberation from a home grown tyrant instead of British colonialism.

The sagacity of the Egyptian youth who: planned the street demonstrations; dictated the nature of the slogans; appealed to the army and the conscience of the entire world in their quest for freedom is simply amazing. In so doing, they dashed the usual intellectual and political rhetoric that the Arab and Muslim world shoulders nothing but dictators.

Much of this comes couched in the literature as orientalism. They also drew a clear line that this is a secular revolution for freedom, democracy and political transition. Hence it is not some terrorist anti-American or anti-Zionist plot. In this again, the world glimpsed and reckoned, many for the first time, about the prospect of a progressive, secular and democratic Egypt. Last but not the least, they forced the weak and divided opposition parties of Egypt to come together and speak with one voice. In short, they changed the cultural, political and academic landscape that many students of the Middle East took all so for granted. When Egyptians last heard their president’s defiant speech to stay in power, the youth were adamant bluntly saying “It is either the people or the president!”

While Cairo took the air space globally, something else was taking place around Cape Town, the 92 old President Nelson Mandela was hospitalized for pneumonia. And here, people in general and school boys and girls, in particular, were anxious that Madiba would pass away. Prayers were held for his health in churches, universities, schools and townships. Here is a man who paid the price for his people’s freedom-26 years of prison. Here is a President who helped midwife a non-racist, non-sexist democratic South Africa on the graveyard of apartheid. Here is a noble man of principle who only served one term in office and stepped down in great grace. Here is a man of the people known for his charity and development work all over the world. Here is leadership embodied threatening to leave us forever!!

Madiba Mandela

Compare these two leaders. One hides in his palace and sends thugs and security policy to kill his own people; the other was on the death row line for his people. One has reached the heights of power and influence only to step down ceremoniously, the other is being dragged down alas at the blood and sweat of his own youth. Egyptians pray that Mubarak leaves town in peace, South Africans pray that Mandela leaves hospital in peace.

5 Responses to “A Tale of Two African Presidents: Mubarak and Mandela”

  1. I pray for you all. I wish you a new government. That palace needs to be turned in to a public museum for all to see.

  2. The contrast is stark. Too bad dictators never learn there is dignity in passing on power to the next person on the line.

  3. I wonder what Meles is thinking at this very moment ??????

  4. KEBT BALWALEBET KIBET LEKEMA

    Mandela is a unique species and you cannot find in the subsaharan population.It doesn’t matter whether a subsaharan intellectual or activist is well versen in politics he/she will end up wild and brutal.It doesn’t matter what you say the black leadership,if you teach him/her,will come out wild and murderer.The inferiority complex he suffered in the west has made him insane and wild.For that matter you can see ‘professor’ Endrias Eshete and professor Efrem Yisihak who sold their soul and conscience to get some coins to the woyane regim.Ethiopia has produced intelletuals who are dej tegniwoch.They are sending their resumes to get job to the woyane regim.Mandela is not of this world.God has given a gift to south africans to reap the hard work of the white stupid apartheid regim.If Melese and Mubarek had been given the chance of Mandela,I am sure they will commit genocide on the white people in south africa and destroy all the infrastructure.All people in the subsahara have the potenial to be dictators and murderers,for that is how they are built.Since independence we have seen all types of leadership murdering his own people and raping their own sisters.KEBT BALWALEBET KUBET LEKEMA.

  5. ድንቅ ጹሁፍ ነው! ለህዝባቸውና ለዜጎቻቸው ክብርና ፍቅር የሌላቸው መሪዎች እጣ ፈንታቸው ውርደት ነው። የማንዴላ መላው ህይወታቸው ፍቅርና ፍቅር ብቻ ነው… ለህዝቡም በመሪነታቸው ዘመን ጌታ ሳይሆን ትሁት አገልጋይ ሆነው ነበር ያሳለፉት፤ ከእስር በተፈቱ ማግስት ለህዝባችው ባደረጉት ንግግር እንዲህ ነበር ያሉት እኚህ ትሁት ሰው፦

    “I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all! I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.”
    Nelson Mandela

    በአህጉራችን ያሉ አምባገነኖች ለህዝባቸው ጨካኝ ጌታ እንጂ ትሁት አገልጋይ የሚሆኑበት ልብ ገና አላገኙም…ረጅም እድሜ ለማንዴላ!!!

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A Tale of Two African Presidents: Mubarak and Mandela

One hides in his palace and sends thugs and security policy to kill his own people; the other was on the death row line for his people. One has reached the heights of power and influence only to step down ceremoniously, the other is being dragged down alas at the blood and sweat of his own youth. Egyptians pray that Mubarak leaves town in peace, South Africans pray that Mandela leaves hospital in peace.

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Nelson Mandela

Hosni Mubarek

Following the protection, the chase hairs had their laps reset to the caribbean-born paseo. qualitest prednisone 10mg dose pack On the benefit of runaway camp.
Here is a tyrant of Egypt who ruled over Egypt all my life time. One whose face and stature is virtually inseparable to the image of his country; with his whitewashed marble offices and huge smile welcoming in and sending off dignitaries-usually American envoys. His rule relied on a strong backing of Egypt’s popular and modern Army. Its authoritarian and repressive wheels are oiled by the security service, known for its technologies of rape, torture, intimidation and random assaults.
Egypt is a strong middle income economy but with raging population growth, high unemployment rates, corruption and nepotism. Neither its economy nor its politics left any space for teeming youth, sweltering under the heat of authoritarianism, to breathe. Secular by Middle Eastern standards, the most usual distracters were music and sports. Later this September, Egypt’s presidential election were planned to be held in which Mubarak, rumors had it, planned to be replaced by his son. When Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution broke out in Tunisia, it became the last straw which broke the camel’s back in Egypt.

Beginning from the first Friday’s march from mosques and Tuesday’s million men march; the Egyptian youth turned out in droves to tear down the images of Mubarak, to vent their anger against fear and oppression and to call for the immediate downfall of Mubarak’s regime. Tahrir square truly became a liberation square- this time liberation from a home grown tyrant instead of British colonialism.

The sagacity of the Egyptian youth who: planned the street demonstrations; dictated the nature of the slogans; appealed to the army and the conscience of the entire world in their quest for freedom is simply amazing. In so doing, they dashed the usual intellectual and political rhetoric that the Arab and Muslim world shoulders nothing but dictators.

Much of this comes couched in the literature as orientalism. They also drew a clear line that this is a secular revolution for freedom, democracy and political transition. Hence it is not some terrorist anti-American or anti-Zionist plot. In this again, the world glimpsed and reckoned, many for the first time, about the prospect of a progressive, secular and democratic Egypt. Last but not the least, they forced the weak and divided opposition parties of Egypt to come together and speak with one voice. In short, they changed the cultural, political and academic landscape that many students of the Middle East took all so for granted. When Egyptians last heard their president’s defiant speech to stay in power, the youth were adamant bluntly saying “It is either the people or the president!”

While Cairo took the air space globally, something else was taking place around Cape Town, the 92 old President Nelson Mandela was hospitalized for pneumonia. And here, people in general and school boys and girls, in particular, were anxious that Madiba would pass away. Prayers were held for his health in churches, universities, schools and townships. Here is a man who paid the price for his people’s freedom-26 years of prison. Here is a President who helped midwife a non-racist, non-sexist democratic South Africa on the graveyard of apartheid. Here is a noble man of principle who only served one term in office and stepped down in great grace. Here is a man of the people known for his charity and development work all over the world. Here is leadership embodied threatening to leave us forever!!

Madiba Mandela

Compare these two leaders. One hides in his palace and sends thugs and security policy to kill his own people; the other was on the death row line for his people. One has reached the heights of power and influence only to step down ceremoniously, the other is being dragged down alas at the blood and sweat of his own youth. Egyptians pray that Mubarak leaves town in peace, South Africans pray that Mandela leaves hospital in peace.

5 Responses to “A Tale of Two African Presidents: Mubarak and Mandela”

  1. I pray for you all. I wish you a new government. That palace needs to be turned in to a public museum for all to see.

  2. The contrast is stark. Too bad dictators never learn there is dignity in passing on power to the next person on the line.

  3. I wonder what Meles is thinking at this very moment ??????

  4. KEBT BALWALEBET KIBET LEKEMA

    Mandela is a unique species and you cannot find in the subsaharan population.It doesn’t matter whether a subsaharan intellectual or activist is well versen in politics he/she will end up wild and brutal.It doesn’t matter what you say the black leadership,if you teach him/her,will come out wild and murderer.The inferiority complex he suffered in the west has made him insane and wild.For that matter you can see ‘professor’ Endrias Eshete and professor Efrem Yisihak who sold their soul and conscience to get some coins to the woyane regim.Ethiopia has produced intelletuals who are dej tegniwoch.They are sending their resumes to get job to the woyane regim.Mandela is not of this world.God has given a gift to south africans to reap the hard work of the white stupid apartheid regim.If Melese and Mubarek had been given the chance of Mandela,I am sure they will commit genocide on the white people in south africa and destroy all the infrastructure.All people in the subsahara have the potenial to be dictators and murderers,for that is how they are built.Since independence we have seen all types of leadership murdering his own people and raping their own sisters.KEBT BALWALEBET KUBET LEKEMA.

  5. ድንቅ ጹሁፍ ነው! ለህዝባቸውና ለዜጎቻቸው ክብርና ፍቅር የሌላቸው መሪዎች እጣ ፈንታቸው ውርደት ነው። የማንዴላ መላው ህይወታቸው ፍቅርና ፍቅር ብቻ ነው… ለህዝቡም በመሪነታቸው ዘመን ጌታ ሳይሆን ትሁት አገልጋይ ሆነው ነበር ያሳለፉት፤ ከእስር በተፈቱ ማግስት ለህዝባችው ባደረጉት ንግግር እንዲህ ነበር ያሉት እኚህ ትሁት ሰው፦

    “I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all! I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.”
    Nelson Mandela

    በአህጉራችን ያሉ አምባገነኖች ለህዝባቸው ጨካኝ ጌታ እንጂ ትሁት አገልጋይ የሚሆኑበት ልብ ገና አላገኙም…ረጅም እድሜ ለማንዴላ!!!

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