Using Madiba

It was interesting to notice last week a few blogs on Thought Leader about Nelson Mandela, affectionately known as Madiba.

I was hoping to respond to these blogs earlier, but blogging is not my full-time occupation and I just could not find the time to do so.

I have always felt that many people use Madiba’s name as a way of attracting attention to whatever it is they are trying to promote — in this case their blogs — and this has often made me feel uncomfortable.

Even former Cape Argus editor Andrew Drysdale, not one of the most transformed people in South Africa, wrote a book and used Madiba’s name in the title.

There are many people who probably called Madiba a terrorist not too long ago who now conveniently will try to use his name to promote their wares.

I supposed that is the risk that goes with being one of the most recognisable and marketable names and faces on the planet. People will want to associate with you in an effort to promote themselves.

Like Drysdale, there are many authors who use “Madiba” or “Mandela” in their books’ titles. A closer inspection will reveal that most of these books have very little to do with Madiba.

I thought about mentioning some of these books but then decided that I did not want to promote any of them.

Now the question is: Is it wrong to use Madiba’s name or image to promote something that ostensibly has nothing to do with him?

Marketing often depends on a gimmick, something that makes your product stand out, and what the people who use Madiba are hoping is that their product will stand out by being associated with him.

I can understand it when the people at the Nelson Mandela Foundation and other legitimate Madiba organisations are fed up with people who rip off his image.

Madiba has decided to use his image to promote certain things, like the rights of children, and they would want any money raised by using his name or image to contribute to the causes that he supports.

But how does one police this, and can one realistically stop people using Madiba’s name to promote whatever? In some ways I am probably guilty of what I am preaching against, because I am also using Madiba’s name to get you to read this blog.

But the issue is an important one. For instance, the estate of Che Guevara is not benefiting from the many T-shirts that carry his image around the world. The Cuban photographer Alberto Diaz Gutierrez, who took the famous picture of Che, only recently won the copyright battle against some major companies who have been using his picture.

Surely we do not want the same thing to happen to Madiba.

There is an argument that using Madiba’s name and image will ensure that his legacy continues long after he is gone. But there is also an argument that he or his family should benefit from the gratuitous use of his name and image.

One of the highlights of my life is probably the many interactions I was fortunate to have had with Madiba while he was president of our country and I was editor of the Cape Times.

I know that he will probably not be too concerned about people who use his image.

However, I feel quite strongly that Mandela’s image and name are probably two of South Africa’s strongest brands and should be protected. How we do it I don’t quite know. Any ideas?