UK/Irish History

It’s an old story, about the honoured knight who fights against injustice for the betterment of his people, but then slips into corruption. Eventually, he betrays those he vowed to protect and becomes the monster he once fought against. I could, of course, be talking about Sir Lancelot, the most courageous and honoured of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. But Lancelot was overcome by his lust, and it undid him. He turned his back on his king and the people he had vowed to protect. Unfortunately, the person I was really thinking about isn’t fictional.

Robert Mugabe was once a knight, honoured so by the Queen for the good he had done for his country of Zimbabwe. But, somewhere along the way, Mugabe fell more in love with power than his people. He betrayed his country.

Two days ago, I posted an article about some of the British Orders of Knighthood. In the article I listed Robert Mugabe as a member of the Order of Bath. I admit that I did this somewhat facetiously. On that very same day, Robert Mugabe was stripped of his knighthood. It was only a ceremonial gesture, but it was the right one.

The world has enough tyrants and thugs. It’s especially bitter when one of the heroes crosses over and becomes one. But this is not an indication that failure is inevitable. Today, Britain is holding a celebration for another hero, Nelson Mandela, a man with a number of similarities to Robert Mugabe. There is one important difference, however. Mandela knew when to let go of power, and that is why history will remember him fondly.