Nelson Mandela: Inaugural Address

Impact

While it is difficult to assess the precise impact of any speech, Mandela's inaugural address helped to promote the reconciliation agenda that was to be the hallmark of his presidency. Both blacks and whites were uplifted by his explicit commitment to bridging the chasms that had divided the two communities. In the course of his address, he made clear that as a “token of its commitment to the renewal of our country, the new Interim Government of National Unity will, as a matter of urgency, address the issue of amnesty for various categories of our people who are currently serving terms of imprisonment.”

This was done: The first parliament of the new democratic South Africa passed the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act in 1995. That act provided for the setting up of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The commission addressed the issue of amnesty not only for people imprisoned but also for perpetrators of gross violations of human rights who came forward to avoid being sent to prison. In terms of the mandate given the commission, if they made full disclosure of what they had done, they would receive amnesty.

Mandela did not deliver his inaugural speech with the soaring oratory displayed by Barack Obama at his inauguration in Washington, D.C., in January 2009. Mandela's delivery was fairly matter of fact, except when he placed special emphasis on the word never. The timing of the flyby meant that he had to pause in his speech because of the noise they made. But his speech was well received and is generally regarded as both highly appropriate and inspiring. It went around the world and has often been quoted and cited. When Obama delivered his inaugural address, many commentators in South Africa referred it to a “Mandela moment” and reminded their readers of Mandela's speech.

In the years that followed Mandela's inauguration as president, the nation has only partially delivered on the promises he made in his address. On the one hand, the country is relatively high on an index called the Ibrahim Index of African Governance. This index examines and ranks the nations of sub-Saharan Africa along five dimensions: safety and security; rule of law, transparency, and corruption; participation and human rights; sustainable economic opportunity; and human development. As of 2022 South Africa ranked sixth (behind Mauritius, the Seychelles, Tunisia, Cape Verde, and Botswana). As of 2023 the overall unemployment rate was 32 percent. As of 2021 the nation ranked 109th on the United Nations Human Development Index.