Invictus: President Nelson Mandela's Use of Rugby Team to Unite South Africa
Vishall Bhoopsingh
Professor Whalen
Composition II
13 December 2012
Invictus
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he
stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and
controversy.” The Reverend Dr. King preached that in times of hardship and distress, a man’s
decisions and actions, no matter how unpopular or disfavored they might be, truly define his
character. No other person embodies Dr. King’s profound message more than former South
African President Nelson Mandela, who used South Africa’s rugby team as an instrument to
unite his economically and racially divided country after many years of inequality brought forth
by Apartheid, a near 50 year long period of racial segregation and white supremacy. Mandela’s
work of bringing South Africa to democracy is retold and glorified in Director Clint Eastwood’s
Oscar-nominated film, Invictus. Clint Eastwood molds Mandela’s unique character into a soft-
spoken, yet powerful leader, who employs the universal language of sports to unite post-
apartheid South Africa. Director Eastwood balances this film with an equal combination of
historical significance and Hollywood drama, so as to keep viewers enticed without having them
feel like they are listening to a history lecture.
Nelson Mandela wasted no time in his mission to remove hate and racial inequality from
his country, and he did so one step at a time. During the first few days of his first term, Mandela
noticed that all the cabinet members of the Apartheid regime were packing their belongings and leaving as Mandela’s newly elected cabinet members stepped in to replace them. Seeing this as
an opportunity to remove racial segregation in the workplace, Mandela humbly asked the
Afrikaner members to stay and join his new committee in an effort to promote equality and
interdependence throughout
Professor Whalen
Composition II
13 December 2012
Invictus
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he
stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and
controversy.” The Reverend Dr. King preached that in times of hardship and distress, a man’s
decisions and actions, no matter how unpopular or disfavored they might be, truly define his
character. No other person embodies Dr. King’s profound message more than former South
African President Nelson Mandela, who used South Africa’s rugby team as an instrument to
unite his economically and racially divided country after many years of inequality brought forth
by Apartheid, a near 50 year long period of racial segregation and white supremacy. Mandela’s
work of bringing South Africa to democracy is retold and glorified in Director Clint Eastwood’s
Oscar-nominated film, Invictus. Clint Eastwood molds Mandela’s unique character into a soft-
spoken, yet powerful leader, who employs the universal language of sports to unite post-
apartheid South Africa. Director Eastwood balances this film with an equal combination of
historical significance and Hollywood drama, so as to keep viewers enticed without having them
feel like they are listening to a history lecture.
Nelson Mandela wasted no time in his mission to remove hate and racial inequality from
his country, and he did so one step at a time. During the first few days of his first term, Mandela
noticed that all the cabinet members of the Apartheid regime were packing their belongings and leaving as Mandela’s newly elected cabinet members stepped in to replace them. Seeing this as
an opportunity to remove racial segregation in the workplace, Mandela humbly asked the
Afrikaner members to stay and join his new committee in an effort to promote equality and
interdependence throughout
Cited: Ortiz, Cynthia. "Reconciliation: Mandela 's Miracle." School Library Journal 58.6 (2012): 54. Biography Reference Bank (H.W. Wilson). Web. 12 Dec. 2012. Lieberfeld, Daniel. "Peace Profile: Nelson Mandela." Peace Review 16.3 (2004): 387-392. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. Scores die in Sharpeville shoot-out. 1960. British Broadcasting Company. 12 Dec. 2012.http:// news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/21/newsid_2653000/2653405.stm.