Mbongiseni Buthelezi: The Custodian of  Madiba Values

Nelson Mandela’s legacy is not confined to the history books. It breathes in every struggle for freedom, echoes in every demand for dignity, and resonates in every call for justice. His life was proof that courage could bend the arc of history and that dialogue, even with one’s fiercest adversaries, could transform conflict into hope. Today, as greed, division, and indifference deepen the fractures of our societies, Mandela’s principles of humanity, equality, and active citizenship shine brighter than ever. They remind us that the fight for justice is never complete, and that preserving his values is not an act of remembrance alone but a necessity for survival.

Carrying this responsibility with both reverence and resolve is Professor Mbongiseni Buthelezi, who leads the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Under his stewardship, the Foundation does not allow Mandela’s legacy to rest in memory but brings it alive in the service of justice, dialogue, and social change. Through research, advocacy, and community engagement, the organisation transforms Mandela’s vision into action, ensuring that his life’s work continues to shape new generations. It stands as a living force, committed to keeping the spirit of Madiba not only remembered but actively at work in the world today.

Carrying Forward Madiba’s Torch

For Mbongiseni, leading an organisation so deeply rooted in Nelson Mandela’s legacy is both a privilege and a profound responsibility. He views it as a unique opportunity to contribute to building a better society and a better world by continuing the work Madiba began. Standing on the shoulders of such a giant fills him with immense honour. At the same time, he recognises the responsibility of upholding values-based leadership in an age when power is often misused to oppress and advance narrow interests, causing untold suffering.

Carrying the Flame from Service to Justice

The Foundation’s journey has evolved remarkably since its beginnings as Mr Mandela’s post-presidential office. Mbongiseni explains that it was initially created to support whatever work Madiba chose to pursue and could raise funds for. This included projects ranging from the building of schools and clinics to involvement in the Burundi Peace Process. In the early 2000s, the Foundation also became a platform for key dialogues on HIV/AIDS.

By 2004, the organisation began to refocus, housing its education initiatives in the Nelson Mandela Institute for Rural Development and Education at the University of Fort Hare and passing on HIV/AIDS work to other organisations. As Madiba started withdrawing from public life in 2007, he gave the Foundation a fresh mandate: to serve as a social justice organisation dedicated to peace, democracy, and human rights in South Africa and across the globe through research, dialogue, and advocacy. He also tasked it with maintaining a Centre of Memory on his life and times as a place of dialogue.

When xenophobic violence erupted in 2008, the Foundation turned to community-level dialogues to counter polarisation and foster safe environments for displaced people. Over time, its work expanded to include initiatives in early childhood education, food security, and equitable land access. Today, Mbongiseni describes the Foundation’s role as “making good trouble” in pursuit of just societies.

Yet the Centre is more than a repository of memory. It is also a vibrant venue for activities that look toward the future. The Foundation regularly hosts meetings and dialogues on pressing social issues, ensuring that Mandela’s legacy continues to inspire solutions for today’s challenges. One example is the “Making Reading Fun” programme, which invites young people to the Centre each month to enjoy storytelling sessions with established or emerging authors. For Mbongiseni, this combination of history, research, youth engagement, and dialogue ensures that the Centre is not merely a museum of the past but a living resource for generations to come.

Mandela’s Enduring Language of Change

For Mbongiseni, dialogue is not only central to the Foundation’s mission but also vital to South Africa’s future. He stresses that genuine dialogue is the starting point for solving complex social challenges. It requires careful examination of the problems at hand and the courage to bring people with differing views into the same room, even when conversations are difficult. He observes that there are not enough spaces in South Africa where people truly listen to one another and work together to find meaningful solutions.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation, however, has built a strong reputation as such a space. With years of experience in convening and facilitating dialogues, it has become a trusted platform for conversations on issues as diverse as early childhood development, land reform, and even international concerns such as peace in Gaza. By creating safe spaces for people to engage deeply, the Foundation aims to counter the growing polarisation that threatens societies worldwide. Mbongiseni warns that without genuine dialogue, the alternatives are stark. Continued fragmentation, hostility, and violent conflict would become the default path.

An Activist Spirit for an Unjust World

Balancing Mandela’s enduring legacy with the urgent issues of the present is a responsibility that Mbongiseni approaches with great care. He is quick to remind people that Mandela was not a static figure defined only by peace and reconciliation. Instead, Mandela was a leader who evolved over time, shaped by self-reflection, self-critique, and constant engagement with differing viewpoints. His writings reveal a man who grew through struggle, conflict, and dialogue with others, even those he fundamentally disagreed with.

Mbongiseni reflects on the many facets of Mandela. There was the fiery young activist who engaged in heated debates and confrontations. There was the revolutionary on trial who defiantly declared his readiness to die for his ideals. There was the statesman who emerged from prison able both to speak sharply to F.W. de Klerk and to calm erupting violence in KwaZulu-Natal. There was also the President who remained an activist at heart, unrelenting in his pursuit of freedom, equality, human rights, and dignity for all people.

In today’s world, Mbongiseni believes it is this activist side of Mandela’s legacy that must come to the fore. With democratic cultures under siege and human rights increasingly trampled upon, he insists that leaders must embody the same global commitment to justice and humanity that defined Mandela’s life. He contrasts Mandela’s vision with the greed, cruelty, and racism that in his view have dominated world leadership in recent times. For him, the Foundation’s role is clear. It must remind South Africa, Africa, and the wider world that Mandela’s legacy is not only about reconciliation but also about courage, activism, and a relentless pursuit of justice.