My mother used to tell us a story of a lion and a mouse. The lion is big and strong and the mouse is small and soft. One day the mouse was in a trap crying out for help, the lion was passing by and initially hesitated but the mouse pleaded and promised to return the favour. The Lion indulged the mouse but laughed and said what help can you give me. Not long after this, the lion was captured by a circus group and was roaring for help. The mouse witnessed this and quickly came to the rescue. He calmed the lion down and began to claw at the net in which the lion was trapped. It was not before long that the mouse had cut out a sizeable hole and the lion was able to escape.
This illustrates the interdependence of all of the universe. We all big and small depend on each other. It illustrates that friendship, bonding, helping each other and taking care of everything in our vicinity and beyond is crucial for our own survival. This is what Mandela and Gandhi and other leaders of our struggle taught us.
Chris Hani said in an interview with Financial Mail in September 1990, “ What we need in South Africa is for egos to be suppressed in favour of peace. We need to create a new breed of South Africans who love their country and love everybody, irrespective of his or her colour.”
Let us heed these words and find peaceful solutions rather than kill and destroy valuable property and resources. It means cooling off the anger born of prejudice, and hardships. Looking at life with new perspective and holding each other’s hand to build a new culture of self help.