The Therapy Tool Called Forgiveness and Nelson Mandela

By Joseph Osei Oppong Brenya, excerpts from speech delivered by Nana Awere Damoah at his book launch, I speak Of Ghana.

At a party with friends that a received a text from one great friend in Italy, telling me about the death of Nelson Mandela, that is where got the first hint of the news: Madiba Had Gone Home. It is fitting that this whole month dedicated to the memory of the one person who has taught us much.

To me, the greatest lesson was about forgiveness.

 I reflected on this same theme, in I speak Of Ghana, a book I read ‘Excursions in My Mind’ in the chapter entitled The Therapy Tool Called Forgiveness, and if you would indulge me, I quote: ‘A prominent public speaker and writer/dramatist in Ghana [though I elected not to mention his name in the book, today we have this person here with us – our Chairman Uncle Ebo Whyte] told a true story about two journalists in Ghana, two good friends.
One of them was imprisoned under the military rule in Ghana in the eighties.

Whilst in prison, this journalist learnt that it was his friend who had betrayed him to the authorities, about their attempts to sabotage the military government. Till today, the victim has never talked about this betrayal in public and indicates that he forgave his friend.

Nelson Mandela was imprisoned under the apartheid regime in South Africa, for almost 27 years, released on 11th February 1990. He was 46 years old when he started his prison term and 71 years when he was released. He had over a quarter of a century of his life taken away from him, his freedom taken from him, and tormented in many ways especially psychologically.

This is the man who found in his heart to forgive, and not to rest on the past ills. What was his motivation for this? I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man's freedom is a prisoner of hatred; he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness.


I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else's freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. (Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom) You see, Mandela realised that it is not only the beneficiary of forgiveness who benefits.

The giver does him a great deal of good as well. Lawana Blackwell states this fact most eloquently: “Forgiveness is almost a selfish act because of its immense benefits to the one who forgives.”
‘In reflecting on the odd nature of the interviews I was watching this morning on BBC in respect of the absence of tributes from African leaders, my friend Nana Esi Ghansah in Dubai had a great response: “The greatest tribute African leaders can pay to him is not through interviews on BBC or CNN but practise his ideals and deliver their people and our continent from the shackles of poverty - poverty of body, mind and spirit.” Madiba:
 Apart from the act of forgiveness you displayed which really brought your nation together, for me, your greatest example was stepping down when all of us would have said you deserved to be President for life.
You left when the applause was loudest and we never stopped applauding. Rest well, Tata,