When you have the privilege to play for South Africa, you have many perks. As I often say, with privilege comes responsibility and pressure.
To be honest, I didn’t always enjoy all the perks that rugby brought into my life, but there was one that I cherish to this day. When I became the captain in 1999, Nelson Mandela was still the president of South Africa.
In the years after that, we stayed in touch, and whenever we played a Test match, I would get a call from the Honourable President to wish me and the team well for the game the next day. I would often convey those messages to the team with tears in my eyes, as I felt so insignificant when a man of his stature would call me.
Thanks to Zelda Le Grange, in 2009—four years after I retired—I had the amazing privilege of taking my whole family to meet the most incredible man South Africa has ever produced. As I greeted the great man, he said the following words to me: “Hi Corn, how are you? Why would a strapping young man like you come and visit an insignificant old man like me?”
Oh, and by the way, I didn’t spell my name wrong—he called me Corn, and I happily accepted it. He knew I would be very nervous, and all he ever wanted to do was make people feel comfortable in his presence.
What Nelson Mandela Taught Me
So, how do I describe what our former president taught me?
1) Forgiveness
After 27 years in jail, he came out with no hatred in his heart. He once said: “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”
2) Feelings
He always made me feel safe and special. How do we make people feel when they are in our presence?
3) Humility
I don’t think there has ever been a more humble leader than President Mandela. He was the pinnacle of humility in a time when South Africa needed it the most.
A Legacy to Live By
I want to finish by saying that I truly believe South Africa would have had a civil war if we didn’t get the right man at the right time. There is no doubt that he did more for this country in five years than any other leader has.
As we all have a role to play in this beautiful country we live in, I want to ask that we live by the legacy of Nelson Mandela. May there be forgiveness in our hearts. May there be peace and unity as the rest of the world is in turmoil. May all of us be humble and treat each other with respect and humility. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. May God bless Africa.
GET IN TOUCH
If you would like to get in touch with me about my key note presentation, Debunking Motivation, please send an email to corne@cornekrige.com. Visit my website to review my speaker sheet for more info. I also share my story on my social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.