Religion

Mandela's imprisonment is a kind of religious symbol; it is a summary of his 'bottom-line' values, the things that he considers worth dying for. I am keen to discover what sustained him during those long years, enabling him to emerge from isolation with the gentleness, strength and continuing resolve that characterise his person. Having spoken for some time, the question of religion emerges. "The relationship between a person and his or her God is a deeply intimate and private matter. It is not a matter I usually regard as open for public discussion. . . There is a sense in which, for me, it is a matter beyond articulation. It is an experience I do not fully comprehend." Does he regard it as important to endeavour to comprehend this reality? "I think it is more important to live in accordance with one's deepest values and convictions, whether religious or otherwise, rather than to fully understand them. But yes, I suppose all of us try to some extent to make sense of what drives us."

As he is not ready to say much more about this understanding, I ask whether he thinks religious belief is an important ingredient of life. Is it important for his life? Does it contribute to the well-being of society?

Yes, I certainly recognise the importance of the religious dimension of my own life. More important for me, however, is the significance of religion for countless numbers of people I meet both in South Africa and around the world. Religion is important because at the centre of the great religious traditions is the pursuit of peace. South Africa needs peace, the world needs peace and I

am convinced that if we were to put into practice the central tenets of Christianity, Judaism, African traditional religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and other faiths—all of which have a lot in common—there would be peace in the world. . . I have no problem with religious belief. My problem is that all too often people fail to act on what they claim to believe.

Religion is about mutual love and respect for one another and for life itself. It is about the dignity and equality of humankind made in the image of God. This is a God who, if I understand the Bible correctly, requires us to be engaged in the actual fight against evil, poverty, disease, illiteracy, the lack of housing and other social ills in society. I have enormous respect for religious people in our country who have been at the forefront of our struggle. They live their faith and I deeply respect the faith which they proclaim. I think of people like Michael Scott, Trevor Huddleston, Archbishop Tutu, Frank Chikane and many others.

Having spoken of the contribution of religious people to the history of the African National Congress—people like the Rev John Dube (first president of the ANC), Chief Albert Luthuli, Canon Calata, Z. K. Matthews and others—Mandela speaks of the ministry of chaplains he met on Robben Island. "Most of these men understood my convictions; some of them shared my values." He mentions Father Alan Hughes of the Anglican Church: "He was always willing to share pieces of information denied to us on the island. He helped us keep in touch with the wider community, locating his religious message within the broader context of life. His religion was an impressive spiritual understanding of life—never something separate from it." He remembers Rev André Schäfer of the NG Kerk in Afrika, "as being hostile towards us at first, but later becoming one of the best liked chaplains". Mandela was particularly intrigued with the historical and scientific information which Schäfer wove into his sermons. "I remember him telling us of astronomy confirming the appearance of a particularly bright star or cluster of stars in the heavens at the time of Christ's birth. . . The way in which he integrated natural phenomena and historical events with religious stories and ideas provoked numerous discussions among the prisoners in our block." Mandela speaks too of Theo Kotze, who was a Methodist chaplain for a while. "The government regarded him as being too political, and he was prevented from visiting the island." Mandela emphasises the ecumenical approach of the chaplains who came from different denominations of the Christian Church and ministered to all "without ever asking who belonged to what Church

or religion. I never missed a service and often read the scripture lessons. . . Come to think of it, I was quite religious". Equally important for him were the religious services provided by other faiths: "I particularly enjoyed the visits of Imam Abdurahman Bassier with whom I had long conversations, remembering that it was Maulvi Cachalia who first outlined to me the basic tenets of Islam many years earlier. It was an enriching experience for me to gain a deeper knowledge of a religion other than my own." He knew of the existence of a kramat on the island, said to be that of Tuan (or Sheikh) Mantura. "The religious convictions of people like the Sheikh move me quite deeply. It was his faith that drove him to resist Dutch imperialist designs in South-East Asia, for which he was exiled and imprisoned on Robben Island in the mid-1700s. That kind of religion must be taken seriously." Mandela wrote to Sheikh Omar Gabier in March 1985 of his visit to Sheikh Mantura's tomb: "I literally harassed the commanding officer of the prison for permission to visit the kramat. Permission was finally granted only in 1977. That was a day which I will not easily forget. Symbols and monuments, especially those which represent great movements or national heroes, can move one beyond words. My fellow prisoners and I spent more than an hour at the shrine and came away feeling proud and happy that we were able to pay our respects to so great a fighter for justice."

After being moved to Pollsmoor Prison Mandela missed the variety of worship to which he had become accustomed. At Pollsmoor, prisoners were only allowed visits by representatives of the specific Church or religion to which they belonged. "This was a source of great disappointment to me. It turned out, however, that it was also an occasion for me to develop a friendship of great importance with Rev Dudley Moore, the Methodist chaplain. He visited me on a frequent basis and I received Holy Communion from him regularly. To share the sacrament as part of the tradition of my Church was important for me. It gave me a sense of inner quiet and calm. I used to come away from these services feeling a new man."

Would he then regard himself as a religious person? "No, I am not particularly religious or spiritual. Let's say I am interested in all attempts to discover the meaning and purpose of life. Religion is an important part of this exercise." Does he believe in a God? "As I have said, the relationship between a person and God is personal. The question concerning the existence of God is something I reflect on in solitude."

I am about to change the subject when Mandela quotes a verse from

the same poem (written by Tennyson) which Govan Mbeki quoted in an earlier interview. He too tells me that Alexander Kerr, the rector of Fort Hare University during their student days, often quoted these words:

Strong Son of God, immortal love,
Who we, who have not seen thy face
By faith and faith alone embrace,
Believing what we cannot prove.

I tell him that Govan Mbeki recalled these words in the same way, insisting that he is an atheist. "Oh, no!" he volunteers, "I am not an atheist. Definitely not."