Nelson Mandela is an icon of the 20th and 21st century. His charisma is undeniable when reading many of the stories of people who have encountered him. In this respect I highly recommend the book LEADING LIKE MADIBA by Martin Kalungu-Banda.
So on the 2013 Mandela Day celebrations I’m calling for 67 minutes of privacy for South Africa’s first democratically elected president. Madiba may be old, frail, in hospital and therefore not active in the public domain, but his legacy is tied to that of South Africa’s future. In the last two months since he has been hospitalised, the media went into a frenzy.
His children are currently embattled in a family feud of megalithic proportions. My own sentiments is the most valuable gift we can give Nelson Mandela and his wife Graca Machel, is 67 minutes of privacy from the Media. In my opinion, privacy is the most valuable commodity of the digital era.
Most people realise by now, every single website and mobile app tracks your every move. In the same way the media has tracked every single move in and out of hospital of the global icon. In African culture it’s a sign of respect not to look someone in the eyes.
Big Brother is not just a television show, it’s Google, Youtube, Apple and Microsoft, all in collusion with your governments, spying on you, as Edward Snodwen has exposed. So even if you don’t care about Nelson Mandela, maybe you can spend 67 minutes reviewing your own privacy online.
Hell, just for fun, switch of your Smartphone, disable your Facebook & Twitter for 67 minutes. Not having a profile on social media sites, is one of the most extreme, yet practical ways, of protecting your privacy.