When you see heated faces, you become frightened whether to face them or join them. A man was fleeting the street of Bolobedu South, Relela Village, when he saw people assembled to destroy the mayor’s property for corruption. Well, while standing there I thought it is acceptable for the community to demolish the mayor’s property. I thought that violence was the only way to stop corruption.
“Beloved People, listen!” he shouted, “what are you good people shouting about?” he asked.
“Who are you to tell us about our plans, our community plans?” The leader of the mob asked the man.
“Well, My name is Divine Leave, the son of Annah Sebola, the late community member of this area.”
The woman was known as a woman of peace. Many people honored her for being brave enough to stand up for herself when she was attacked by a young boy from that area. The story went viral when she decided to just forgive him.
“You are not from here, we knew your mom, not you. And that makes you unable to understand our crisis here. You better leave before you get yourself into trouble boy!” A young brave woman shouted and she was backed by the crowd with indignant voices that would make a lion to flee.
Something eccentric I learnt from the man, a true man never runs away from the predicament he is in; he faces the challenges head-on. The man stood there with a smile on his face and said, “I am wise enough to understand your problem fellows,” as if they agreed to shout at the same time. “What are you trying to achieve?”
“I am standing here as a man who wants to encourage you good people not to take the law into your hands. I want to guide you to be responsible citizens with dignity and principles seeing that you generated a mob.”
As soon as I heard the words, ‘dignity and principles’, I gathered the attention with all the strength left in me. He continued and quoted: “Our hero, father of the nation, the one who fought for our rights to dispute said, ‘Negotiations and discussions are the greatest weapons we have for promoting peace and development.’”
The obstinate woman asked, “What are you trying to say?”
There was silence.
As many people honour Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, they make sure that they listen carefully to every word.
The man continued, “Whatever you have gathered for, I hope you are not thinking of demolishing someone’s property without negotiating with them for peace. You will gain nothing for being aggressive, you are hindering development of your own. Also remember these words of our Mandela, ‘I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself”. Let’s be the Africans Mandela said he saw us as. Talk and negotiate peace, try to let the authorities deal with whatever matter made you to be like this.”
“Thank you for such words, I believe all of us heard you gentleman, truly you are like your mother. You are a great man that encourages peace and I believe we want people like you in our areas not to mislead us.”
Well, that was the day I saw that the words of a hero never die, it is a legacy of his peace. They all agreed to set up a meeting with the mayor and other authorities and left the place. This even changed my life on how to deal with problems.