Question

What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him?

Answer 1

Mandela wants to pay his tribute to all the people who had sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom. He feels that he is simply the sum of all those African patriots who had gone before him as he only was carrying forward the baton of the freedom struggle, the legacy of leaders of yesteryear who had paved the path of co-operation and unity for him. Therefore, he got the support of his people to be able to come to power to bring equality for his own people.