A TRIBUTE TO NELSON MANDELA ON HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY

From the gushing waters of the Limpopo to the gentle lapping waters of the Thames of London people of all races and ages are falling over themselves to celebrate the 90th birthday of Nelson Mandela! He is a legend in his own life time, Madiba’s iconoclasm has outgrown his political leadership of the freedom struggles of South Africa and his moral authority and personal integrity have surpassed that of all his contemporaries. So much has been said, written and done in the name Mandela that anyone would be foolhardy to attempt to find something original or new to say or add to life so magnificently chronicled.

I know young men everywhere admire the sterling leadership qualities of Nelson Mandela but I envy Madiba, his charisma, his personal magnetism; and his extraordinary charm which have had devastating effects on beautiful women. Any man who can make Naomi Campbell weep tears of genuine joy has my respects but when that man is an octogenarian, it becomes obvious that this a luminous man and his words and actions reflect the radiance of his spirit. Madiba told us that in his youth he was a snappy dresser and would dance all night with the lovely ladies of Soweto. A gentleman about town and a self-confessed Anglophile, courtly, worldly and principled.  His second wife Winnie Mandela and his present wife Graca Machel, in addition to being extraordinary women of courage and talent in their own rights, are extremely beautiful women. 

So the old man has an eye for the finer things of life and if it were not for the horrors of the apartheid regime, which was legalized in 1948, Madiba might have had a quieter life. But the great oppression and the brutality of the apartheid regime propelled Madiba and thousands of his countrymen and country women to the forefront of the struggle that consumed all the energies of his youth at the expense of a normal family life. But Madiba was not unique in this regard, as he always reminds us, that he shared those years with their ups and downs with thousands of his compatriots; and that record of changing moods, of exaltation as at his Rivonia Trial and of depression as at the Sharpeville Massacres, of intense activity and enforced solitude, was their common record.

Madiba was one of a mass, moving with it, swaying it occasionally, being influenced by it; and yet, like the other units, a prince, apart from the others, living his separate life in the heart of the crowds. Leaders pose often enough and struck up attitudes, but there was something very real and intensely truthful in much of what Madiba and his compatriots did, and this lifted them out of their petty selves and made them more vital and gave them an importance that they would otherwise not have had. Madiba was fortunate enough to experience that fullness of life which comes from attempting to fit ideals with action. And he realised that any other life involving a renunciation of these ideals and a tame submission to superior force, would have been a wasted existence, full of discontent and inner sorrow.

Political freedom alone was not the ultimate goal. It was to be the enabling condition for the gradual building up of a ‘Rainbow Nation’ in which the greatest number of its citizens, free from the pressure of the dehumanizing force of apartheid and exacting economic demands would have enough time to devote themselves more and more to the cultivation of the things of the mind and spirit and able to have the happiness of a full life. South Africa has become the well springs of the African renaissance, as Egypt was for centuries in the past, a great intellectual and innovation centre from which would go forth the satisfying eternal truths of the divine spark in all of us and of the brotherhood of man, as well as the fruits of cutting edge knowledge.

This is why Madiba’s birthday is so significant for the young everywhere and in Africa in particular. Nelson Mandela is the most celebrated Elder Statesman of the turn of the century and unarguably the most renowned African National Congress leader ever. Nelson Mandela is an icon of modern history. Although Mandela was at the forefront of the titanic struggle against apartheid for almost forty years, but were it not for his great contribution to creating the rainbow nation in post apartheid South Africa, based on truth and reconciliation, he would not be so deserving of universal adulation and reverence. But he did more. Madiba has debunked the myth that longetivity in political office assures greatness. He served one term as president of ‘a free and democratic South Africa’ an ideal he lived for and achieved and was prepared to die fighting for.

Madiba is a great man fully alive to his responsibilities, and it was only the firmest conviction, the fullest faith and love of his country that prompted his actions. His single-mindedness and unselfishness, his sacrifice and the sacrifices of the others who gave their lives in the anti apartheid struggles inspired the national resurgence which continued until full equality was achieved in South Africa.

Times have proved Nelson Mandela to be prophetic. “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it’s an ideal for which I am prepared to die”.  Madiba foresaw what few could then have foreseen, and to his foresight and his insight into the hearts of his people, South Africans of all races owe the privileges they enjoy today.

In the pantheon of great African leaders, in my view Madiba compares to only three of them. Namely Nkrumah of Ghana, Nyerere of Tanzania and Senghor of Senegal; Kwame Nkrumah for his inspiring and revolutionary PanAfricanist vision, Nyerere for his moral clarity and principled politics and Senghor for his  verve, erudition, civility and elegance. In Madiba all these wonderful traits of a great leader are harmoniously blended. 

What was Madiba’s 90th birthday wish when he blew out the candles? Family members and journalists may have asked that question? But the answer should be obvious to all: “I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses”. BUT remember “There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires”.  Beyond his wise and great words, I believe that Madiba on his 90th birthday would spend a quiet moment in remembrance of his fallen comrades, in particular Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu and other PanAfricanist founding fathers of African States like Nkrumah, Nyerere and Senghor. 

Africans cannot adequately celebrate or honour the life of Mandela if we do not work and strive to bring about the Africa of his desire. For this each one of us must do his part, and though the tasks immediately before us now are different from those of fifty years ago, we can have today, if we are sufficiently devoted and our will is strong, an African resurgence comparable to that which followed the independence of Ghana: we can have the African people reunited as a family – nations of brothers – each working in harmony, not for himself only, but for the good of all. We could then march forward confidently to that exaltation of our continent so that future generations will live fuller lives free from violence, tyranny and oppression. If all Africans commit to this vision it would be a fitting birthday gift for Madiba.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADIBA.

Newspapers and individuals wrote about Sheriff Mustapha Dibba’s autobiography and his contributions towards national development.

But I am here to write about Hon. S.M. Dibba as an individual and as a politician.

May I start with Hon. Sheriff .M. Dibba as an individual, he was a gentleman in totality, he was honest, truthful and never wanted to cheat anyone in any dealing with him.

He was very intelligent and very aware of his environment. He never unnecessarily risked his life. Sheriff .M. Dibba knew what to say, when to say things, where to say things and to whom. He was not easily carried away by a crowd or the sentiments of one. Sheriff .M. Dibba was very organised, he had an enormous amount of knowledge which, is the unique faculty of man and was an integral part of his personality and his being.  All of this in the face of the fact that he had suffered because of truth.

He was always concerned about his credibility as a leader and being born of a family, he never wanted to disappoint anyone. He was fully aware that academic respectability depends on an adherence to truth.  This is what I know about the late Hon. S.M. Dibba as an individual.

As a politician the late Hon. S.M. Dibba was a very active and influential man.  He started politics with the first republic in 1959 when I was in standard two and 14 years old. Hon. Sheriff .M. Dibba was a prominent figure and complex personality. The political history of The Gambia cannot be completed without him.

Mr Dibba was a mature politician who never involved himself in petty and parochial matters.

He was one of the most effective and progressive ministers of the P.P.P regime and had a great love for his country.  Dibba had never at any moment of his life had any intention to exchange this love for his country for any material wealth. What he did want was the rapid development of this country so much so that while he was a member of the P.P.P. he changed parties in order to achieve it.  In 7th September 1975, the late Sheriff .M. Dibba and colleagues formed an opposition party known as National Convention Party (NCP) of which I am a member. He led this particular party till his death.  He believed in the ballot box and aspired to become the president of this country. He was a principled opposition leader and a great respecter of the law.

He never believed in any form of violence. He was never hostile to his opponents in political field and always played a decent straightforward political game. He respected the rules of honest politics in spite of the fact that his opponents more often than not didn’t.

In 1992, I was in parliament with him as an opposition member and he gave me the advice that as parliamentary members, we should always be good examples to others. I was one of the heady ones in particular but I always took his advice because he was very experienced when it came to politics.

I will now close my tribute with a few remarks about the late Hon. S.M. Dibba.

He was am impregnable rock of central Badibou and an ardent and dedicated politician of the Gambia.

He was an ENCYCLOPEDIA, an excellent example for generations to come and he will always be remembered for the excellent work he did while he was alive.  I love him because he was honest, I like him because he told the truth and I admire him because he was content with what God gave him.

May his soul rest in perfect peace.

Prepared by

Ex NCP Member of Parliament

Hon. Ibraima Janko Sanyang

Western Foni

Western Region

The roads to Half-Die mourn. Leman, Charles, Williams, Hurst and Hagan Streets remain desolate.  The youth groan and remain silent, speechless and dumb. Moody clouds hung over Banjul as grief and sadness reigns supreme, for one of our greatest sons had fallen. Let our melancholy and bleakness be heard in the confines of New Jeshwang; Tell our friends and brothers in Basse about our affliction and misery; Let the echoes of our cries and glumness be heard abroad in Senegal and Germany ; Let the nation know that a great son of the soil had finally slept where our forefathers dwell.  Moses Sarr, alias ZICO is no more.

Moses Sarr, was born at

Moses Sarr became a household name in The Gambia because of his exploits on the football field. Most of those who had known him can attest and testify that he was a great football player. Moses like the youths he grew up with learnt to play football on the streets and of course at Bayeh Half –Die. This football ground, where he became a high priest in the game had been Moses’ sanctuary for over two decades. It was here that he developed his unique skills and eventually established his authority as a force to be reckoned with in Gambian football. He was an outstanding winner on this ground and beyond.  At an early age, Moses had begun to emerge as a distinctive street player at

In 1978, Moses scaled through the Common Entrance and gained a place for himself at Saint Augustine ’s High School. He never found it difficult to break into the ranks of the junior football team. He was a proud member of that junior team that won back to back, the High school league championship. This was a team that was captained by the ageless Bonu Johnson and comprised some of the finest junior players in the school at the time viz, Gabbi Ndow, Gerry Gomez, Eliman Lemon and Maba Jobe. 

At  age15, in 1980, Moses together with some of the youth around

At the beginning of the academic year in 1982, Moses Sarr was a recognisable figure in the Saint Augustine ’s senior football team.  This period was a very difficult year for any emerging player in this senior team, for it coincided with the advent of some great players into the SAHS fold. 1982 heralded the emergence of Aziz Corr, (an absolute football wizard) Alieu Nyang (Zemeh), Ebou Faye, Ebou Conateh and Michael Demba into SAHS. But Moses never looked back. He was indispensable and thus a vital player in this selection.

It is worthy to note that prior to 1982, Moses Sarr had already made his debut at the GFA divisional level with the Augustinians Football Club at the Second Division. He was a very instrumental player at Augustinians struggling constantly to bang in the goals.  He was a reputable Number 10, in the real sense of the word, and an inspirational midfielder for this club. During this period, Moses had demonstrated some outstanding qualities. An indomitable and indefatigable midfielder, he was the very essence of brilliance in the game. He was not only creative, but very artistic in his creation. When he was in form, there was nothing like impossibility. Hence, he was placed under constant pressure in school by Father Gough, to make the required switch to Young Africans in the First Division. However, many people believed that it was because of Colley Fye’s influence that he made the switch to Young Africans, a team that was founded right in front of his doorsteps.  Moses was however, already a first division material and was ready for the challenge ahead.

June 1982 witnessed the world cup finals in Spain .  Shortly after this world cup, Moses Sarr was rechristened Zico, after that great Brazilian living legend.  Some people believed that it was Father Gough who named him Zico, after he scored a scaring and majestic volley against Nusrat High School during the high school league championship. No matter where this name came from, or who gave him this name, what is definitely certain is that he was named Zico because of his love for the volleys. Zic as we called him thereafter was the “Master of the Volleys and Half- Volleys”.   He had scored numerous goals of this nature with reckless abandon. One cannot fail to remember the master piece he scored against Mandela Football Club in 1986 while playing for Juventus. What about the stunner quarter volley he scored at Serekunda West against Sticklers in the 90s while playing for Ndoh Mi?  Where you there when he launched that long range volley at the High Level in Basse, while playing for NPE which mesmerised many supporters to this day?

By 1983 Zic was already ripe for the international stage. He made his debut for the Gambia against Ghana in 1983 at the Box Bar Stadium with the junior national squad or what was then fondly called the Under 23. In a star studded team that featured the likes of Amadou Makalay ( Adams ), Ali Samba, Saul Jagne, Cherno Jallow (Guard) and Joe Sambou, Zic never bowed his head low. He was fascinating and delightful to watch at this stage.  He quickly became a role model and a source of inspiration for so many Half- Die and Banjul youths in general because of his unique qualities. 

In 1984 Zic climbed a step higher when he made his debut for the senior national squad against Sierra Leone at the Independence Stadium in Bakau. This was a monumental success, as it allowed him to write his name in solid gold in the annals of history at Saint Augustine ’s as a School Boy International. This is no mean feat. All those who have been able to achieve this honourable feat were distinguished players in this country.  As students at SAHS, we were quite pleased to have a “half-day” the following day, because of Zic and Sheikh Ndure. Zic was indeed a phenomenon.

Zic in 1986 in Banjul , single handedly delivered both the Youth Front League and Knock Out trophies to Juventus Football Club. At Juventus, Zic was everything. As captain of the team, he had a commanding and intimidating presence.  You cannot deny him the ball when he demands for it.  Too often he had not only mesmerised his opponents but his players as well. Zic was always two or three steps ahead of his players. He was a club symbol, a great winner and a champion in every ramification. Let us add that Zic had starred for numerous Nawettan teams across the country during his career. Apart from Juventus, Zic had also played for Victoria Football Club in Banjul , Sticklers and “Ndoh Mi” Football Clubs in Serekunda West and NPE in Basse. His contributions to all these teams were massive and phenomenal. Let us also be courageous to state that Zic first featured at the Banjul Nawettan with a team called “Bombolong”, which was based around

Zic was also a very familiar figure across the boarder in Dakar , Senegal . In the late 80s he was a recognisable figure in Medina , where he helped the Nawettan team in this vicinity to great success. His exploits in Dakar brought him into close contact with the former Senegalese international goalkeeper, Sheikh Seck, who tried to convince Zic to play for Jaraaf in the First Division league.  In fact Zic had spent quite some time in Dakar , trying to finalise a move to Jaraaf from Wallidan. But this never materialised partly because Zic was rather a little bit impatient, but more so, because the top rankers in Wallidan never wanted such a move, for probably one of their finest players.

There is no doubt that the Great Zic had his finest moments in the Gambia , while playing for Wallidan Football Club.  Zic made a transfer from Young Africans to Wallidan in 1987.  At Wallidan, Zic was the spearhead of a formidable midfield that grouped together Lamin Owens, Star Janneh and Kissima Jobarteh. Zic was the very vein, the blood line, the nerve centre that constantly fed numerous star strikers like Tijan Fye (Heulou) and Sheikh Ndure to give Wallidan the desired results. He was the lubricant that made the difference in the Wallidan engine room.  With Wallidan Zic has won a number of Leagues, Knock Out trophies and the Super Cup. Zic was a monumental figure in Wallidan and hence stands tall and proud in the history of this great club.

Zic, eventually left the shores of the Gambia in the early 90s to test his feet in Germany .

The Great Zic deserves a posthumous award from the Gambia Football Association.  He had never refused any call from the national squad. In fact Zic had continuously endangered his education in order to be in the best physical condition possible to represent his beloved country.  Let me state with authority that Zic was never on scholarship at SAHS, despite the fact that he was far much a better player than most of those that enjoyed the scholarships given by Father Gough. His school fees were continuously paid by his family. There was no provision made for people like Zic when they miss classes at SAHS while in camp with the national squad.  He entirely depended on his brothers in the class, who routinely copied notes for him and helped him in the best way possible.  It will be very much unfair and inhumane if we should allow these selfless sacrifices to go in vain.

Zic was stout hearted. He was a national symbol of selfless humanity. He was jovial and had always played the “big brother” role. He was quick in sharing the little he had and very fond of making friends, most especially among the youth who adored Zic as an icon. Despite the status and glamour that had greeted him very early in life, Zic had always remained true to himself.  He was down to earth and always accommodating. He will surely be greatly missed.

In the name of football heroes in this county, Zic is my hero. He was without doubt one of the best players of his generation in this country.

Let me seize this opportunity to extend my sincere condolence to the entire Sarr family, at home and abroad, most especially, Remi , Pa George Sarr, Emmanuel, Susef and Pascal.

Adieu my friend and Brother.  God be with you till we meet again.

The Gambia Bar Association on Wednesday, 7th July 2007, organized a valedictory ceremony at the Corinthia Atlantic Hotel, in memory of late Lawyer Ousman Batchilly, a Gambian legal titan who passed away on 31st March this year.

In a brief speech at the solemn ceremony, Lawyer Fafa E. Mbai paid a glowing tribute to the late Lawyer Batchilly, praising what he termed his doggedness and sterling contributions to the judicial sector.  He recollected that he first met the late Ousman Batchilly in 1970 when the latter was the Commissioner of the then MacCarthy Island Division, now Central River Region. He added that over the years he came to know him as a very wise, intelligent, warm, compassionate and dedicated person who was both light-hearted and at the same time deeply serious and earnest in his approach to work, as well as in his work relations with people of all walks of life throughout. He went on to wish the family of the deceased well, adding that he had no doubt that Musa, the son to the late legal luminary, would carry on from where their ‘noble friend and brother’ has left.

For her part, the president of the Gambia Bar Association, Mrs. Amie Bensouda, said that late Lawyer Ousman Batchilly, affectionately addressed by many as Koto Batchilly, lived his life as a legal practitioner, a father and a gentleman of great courtesy and kindness, who shunned confrontation and arrogance; an intensely private man who lived his life in simplicity.

She said: “While we mourn his death and offer condolences to his family, and in particular to his son and our learned colleague Musa, we also celebrate his life as a colleague at the Bar, a successful legal practitioner and, most importantly, as a fellow traveller who lived a full and useful life to himself, his family, his country, and indeed to his fellow man.”

The Solicitor-General and Legal Secretary at the Attorney General’s Chambers, Dr Henry Darlington Richmond Carrol, a leading human rights lawyer and consultant, also delivered a powerful and soul-touching speech at the occasion.