Be prepared to be bombarded with Mandela mania. The icon would have turned 100 this month and it is impossible to imagine any figure that will surpass his towering presence in our lifetime.
Nelson Mandela's headstone should simply read: "He led an oppressed people to freedom." Like Moses, he could not walk with us all the way and we need a Joshua to pick up his spear. So far, the outlook for one from across the political spectrum is dismal.
We have to ask the hard questions about how our political leaders will live up to Mandela's foundation of sacrifice, leadership and simple genius when it comes to pulling a nation together that had every chance of falling apart.
One of Mandela's pet subjects was reconciliation. The EFF's debate on race recklessly fans the flames of hatred despite many pointing out they are wrong and that their assertions, when insulting an entire community, are based on lies.
Mandela would condemn this. The leader who can take up Mandela's spear needs to know how to lead this nation to unity. But let's remember that the EFF has danced with the poor narrative that Mandela "sold out" - so I suppose we should not be surprised if they believe that their bellicose attitude towards reconciliation is the best way to rebuild a nation ravaged by institutionalised racism.The DA has not lived up to its attempt to appropriate Mandela symbolism, instead tolerating insensitive references to colonialism by one of its leaders. I can't believe the DA still does not have the courage to ask Helen Zille to step aside. This rubs salt in the wound of those who are victims of colonialism, and does not celebrate what Mandela stood for. If the DA wanted to live up to Mandela's legacy it would rid itself of people who send a poor message and continue the existence of the racism that Mandela spent his whole life fighting.
The ANC, supposed to be the chief custodian of Mandela's legacy, has done much to denigrate it, especially with unbelievable levels of corruption. Despite suddenly claiming they are "shocked" at this state, this week the ANC again showed the middle finger to society by appointing convicted fraudster Tony Yengeni to lead the fight against corruption. So much for a New Dawn. Of all the upright ANC members, this was the best one to send a message of being serious about fighting corruption?
The land question will be a yardstick that will show whether these parties have the mantle of leadership that Mandela would have displayed, faced with such a massive challenge.
On the one extreme is the EFF with its winner-takes-all approach to land - a recipe for disaster and a policy position that demonstrates a poor appetite for governing but a desire to remain in the grandstands.In the opposite direction is the DA's dangerous don't-touch-my-land approach, an irresponsible stance that entrenches the status quo of landlessness for the majority and will lead to the detonation of a time bomb by the poverty-stricken masses.
In the dithering middle is the equally dangerous wait-and-see approach adopted by the ANC, a short-term policy that seeks to appropriate the subject matter of land without the hard work of figuring out how it will all work given the failure of land reform over the past 24 years.
Mandela's legacy does not chime with any of the positions taken by these parties. All of them will lead to disastrous outcomes, with the poor and deprived as victims.
Mandela's centenary happens to coincide with public hearings on this crucial issue of land. The best tribute we can pay him is to revisit the Freedom Charter, which had its 56th anniversary last month, and answer the question: how close are we to living up to the sentiment that the people shall truly govern? How true are we to the sentiment that the land shall finally be shared among those who work it? How serious are we about making sure that the people shall meaningfully share in the country's wealth?
Mandela and our ancestors who lived and died for these freedoms are turning in their graves as we stumble in attempts to be the Joshua who takes the people to the promised land.
• Tabane is a radio and TV talkshow host..