Òkìkí ikú Nelson Mandela kan ni alẹ́ Ọjọ́bọ̀, ọjọ́ karun, oṣù kejila ọdun Ẹgbã-le-mẹtala.
Òwe Yorùbá ti o ni “Ká tó ri erin ó digbó; ká tó ri Ẹfọ̀n ó dọ̀dàn; ká tó ri ẹyẹ bi Ọ̀kin ó di gbére” fihan pé ki ṣe ilẹ̀ aláwọ̀ dúdú nikan ni irú Nelson Mandela ti ṣe ọ̀wọ́n, ṣugbọn gbogbo àgbáyé. Melo ninu Olori Òṣèlú àti àwọn Òṣèlú ilẹ̀ aláwọ̀ dúdú ló lè ṣe bi Nelson Mandela? Bi wọn dé ipò giga wọn ki fẹ kúrò, wọn a paniyan, wọn a jalè, wọn a ta enia wọn àti oriṣiriṣi iwa burúkú miran lati di ipò na mu.
Nelson Mandela ṣe ẹ̀wọ̀n fún ọdún mẹta-din-lọgbọn nitori ó̀ gbìyànjú lati tú àwọn enia rẹ sílẹ̀ ni oko ẹrú. O di enia dúdú àkọ́kọ́ lati dé ipò Olori Òṣèlú ilẹ̀ aláwọ̀ dúdú (South Africa). Kò lo ipò yi lati gbẹ̀san iṣẹ́ ibi ti àwọn aláwọ̀ funfun ṣe si tàbi ijiya rẹ ni ẹ̀wọ̀n. Ó fi apẹrẹ onígbàgbọ́ rere han nitori ó dariji àwọn ti ó fi ìyà jẹ́ ohun àti àwọn enia rẹ tori ki ilú rẹ lè tòrò. Ẹyẹ bi ọ̀kín ṣọ̀wọ́n, kò du lati kú si ori ipò, lẹhin ọdún marun ó gbé ipò sílẹ̀ ki ẹlòmíràn lè bọ́ si.
Ọmọ ọdún marun-din-lọgọrun ni ki ó tó pa ipò dà, bi o ti ẹ̀ jẹ́ pé Nelson Mandele ti di arúgbó, gbogbo àgbáyé ò fẹ́ ki ó kú, nitori ẹyẹ bi ọ̀kín rẹ ṣọ̀wọ́n. Bi àwọn Òṣèlú ilẹ̀ aláwọ̀ dúdú yoku ba le kọ́gbọ́n lára “ìgbà àti ikú Nelson Mandela”, ilẹ̀ aláwọ̀ dúdú á dára.
Gbogbo àgbáyé ṣè dárò Madiba Nelson Mandela. Gbogbo ọmọ Yorùbá ni ó dìgbà, ó dìgbóṣe, ó dàrìnàkò, ó dojú àlá ká tó tún ríra.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
The news of the death of Nelson Mandela broke out at night Thursday, day five, December, 2013.
The Yoruba proverb that said, “Before one can see the elephant, one must go to the forest; before one can see the buffalo, one must go to the wilderness; before one can see another bird like the peacock, one must await the end of time” showed that Nelson Mandela was not only a rare breed in African but in the world. How many Political Leaders or Politicians in Africa can behave like Nelson Mandela? When they get to position of authority, they never want to leave, they will kill, steal, sell their people and commit other wicked acts to retain their position.
Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-seven years (1962-1990) for struggling to free his people from apartheid. He became the first black President of South Africa. He did not use his position to revenge the evil the white minority committed against him and his people. He showed an example of a good believer by forgiving those who incarcerated him and oppressed his people. The bird like the Peacock is rare, as he did not struggle to die in power as President, after five years he stepped down for others to continue.
Nelson Mandela was ninety-five years (1918 to 2013) at the time of death, even though he was old, the world did not want him to die because he was a rare breed. Africa would be better off, if the African Politicians could learn a lesson from “The Life and Times of Nelson Mandela”.
The entire world mourns his death. The Yoruba people are bidding Madiba Nelson Mandela farewell, till we meet again in the land of the dream.