The kindness inside

During Nelson Mandela ’s 19 years
imprisoned on Robben Island, one
particular commanding officer was the
most brutal of them all:
“ A few days before Badenhorst’s
departure , I was called to the main
office . General Steyn was visiting the
island and wanted to know if we had
any complaints. Badenhorst was there
as I went through a list of demands.
When I had finished, Badenhorst
spoke to me directly .
He told me he would be leaving the
island and added : ‘I just want to wish
you people good luck’. I do not know
if I looked dumbfounded , but I was
amazed. He spoke these words like a
human being and showed a side of
himself we had never seen before . I
thanked him for his good wishes and
wished him luck in his endeavours .
I thought about this moment for a
long time afterwards. Badenhorst had
perhaps been the most callous and
barbaric commanding officer we had
had on Robben Island. But that day in
the office , he had revealed that that
there was another side to his nature ,
a side that had been obscured but still
existed .
It was a useful reminder that all men,
even the most seemingly cold-
blooded , have a core of decency and
that, if their hearts are touched, they
are capable of changing . Ultimately,
Badenhorst was not evil ; his
inhumanity had been foisted upon
him by an inhuman system . He
behaved like a brute because he was
rewarded for brutish behaviour. ”
( Nelson Mandela, “ Long Walk ")