2013 Windup:

Nelson Mandela

All the korero for this immensely great and significant Rangatira and international leader have been spoken and the man himself has been has been laid to rest. For the latter half of last century and this millenium so far he has stood out without peer anywhere in the world. Apartheid was a racist and fascist evil obvious to any fair minded person regardless of colour but there were many in NZ and elsewhere who justified apartheid sport and trade with that system for example. Gradually Mandela and his fellow prisoners imprisoned by apartheid were able to emerge from that darkness into the light and without rancour against his imprisonment. That is God given. There's much to do in SA but that's a job for those he has left behind. His great accomplishments included the process of reconciliation. It was far too much to expect that his government would accomplish economic and social equality through wealth redistribution. Even we don't have that yet.

Remembering:

So where were you in 1981, Atihana? Were you on Rugby Park, Hamilton? No. Did you go on protest marches? No, mainly because I could see how intense the opposition was and that it would turn violent, there would be confrontations, etc. Did you attend ati-tour hui? Yes, but only two. Were you apposed to the Springbok Tour? Definitely, and other tours to and from S.Africa in the 1970s. So what did you do in 1981 then, Atihana? I decided not to attend matches, or even watch any games on TV except the one that was cancelled. I ignored other media.Thereafter I couldn't tell you who any of the players were in either of the teams. That was hard for someone who at the time was a coach, sometime referee and keen follower of the game. What about the rest of your whanau then, Atihana? My good wife marched with the protesters in Hamilton, and my son and son-in-law attended that cancelled game. They assure me that they didn't throw anything at the protesters on the field. I believe this was typical of whanau of that time. One thing's for sure. Unlike our current PM we remember where we stood in 1981.

Xmas?

Well it is nearly upon us. This is a Xmas past in Hamilton. These lovely mokopuna are now adults. They and our great grans wish you all a Merry Xmas and a Great New Year. Ma te Atua hoki tatou katoa e manaaki e tiaki i nga wa katoa.

Atihana