Dear Mandela (2011)

Directed by: Dara Kell, Christopher Nizza | 92 minutes | documentary

When Nelson Mandela was elected South Africa’s first black president in 1994, he and his party ANC faced an arduous task: they had promised a better life to those who had suffered under the apartheid regime. A crucial element in that promise was an ambitious plan in which a decent home is provided for everyone. Mandela resigned in 1999, the ANC remained in power and continued to promise houses for the poor in every new election, but little of that golden promise has come to pass. In fact, the number of families living in townships has doubled since 1994. In addition, the government is pursuing an eviction policy, in which the slum dwellers are forcibly evicted from their homes. However, as a result of the ‘Slum Act’, building new settlements is prohibited, leaving many township residents homeless. They feel betrayed by the ANC and revolt.

In the documentary ‘Dear Mandela’ (2011), filmmakers Dara Kell and Christopher Nizza follow three young people who are active within the organization Abahlali baseMjondolo (Zulu for ‘People of the huts’), founded in 2005, which works for the right of poor people to to build their own shelter. They invoke the constitution, which states that people cannot just be evicted from their huts, let alone that the houses can be wiped off the face of the earth overnight. Young student Mazwi, AIDS activist Zama and shop assistant Mnikelo are fiercely opposed to the Slum Act, which they see as a new form of apartheid because it only widens the gap between rich and poor and that is not what ANC politicians want them to do. have promised. They go to court. The story takes a dramatic turn when gunmen invade their Kennedy Road township.

‘Dear Mandela’ successfully interweaves the human rights struggle with three personal stories of young people who are still full of ambition, fighting spirit and fanaticism. They did not (or hardly) experience the time of apartheid; they have heard about it from older relatives or know the facts from textbooks. Smart, studious boys like Mazwi – in whom there is clearly a leader type – initially fight for their disillusioned and battle-weary parents, who have asserted themselves often enough in the past, especially in their fight for equal rights. Where the younger generation dares to criticize the ANC, that is a step too far for their parents. A telling scene in which young Mazwi addresses a crowd makes this more than clear. For them, the ANC is still the party that brought change. At least on paper.

Director Dara Kell was born in South Africa in 1980 and thus experienced the convulsions of apartheid up close, as well as the birth of the new South Africa in 1994. Using a handheld camera for most of the film, Kell gives his viewers the feeling that they themselves are part of the events. Moreover, he does not only discuss the subject from the point of view of the action group; other stakeholders such as ANC politicians and journalists also have their say. With his film, Kell draws a nice comparison between the young activists and Nelson Mandela himself. A boy like Mazwi shows the same pragmatic idealism and courage as ‘Madiba’ once did. With great perseverance and humility, Mandela managed to achieve the impossible. Let’s hope Mazwi does the same one day.