What "twin obligations" does Mandela mention?
Mandela mentions that every man has twin obligations in life. The first is his obligation to his family, which includes his parents, wife, and children. The second is his obligation to his people, his community, and his country.
In a civil society, a person can fulfil both, but in South Africa, it was almost impossible for a man of colour to do so. If a man attempted to fulfil his duty to his people, he was ripped from his family and forced to live apart, thus preventing him from fulfilling his obligations as a son, brother, father, and husband.
Explanation
The textbook passage highlights Mandela's concept of 'twin obligations' to illustrate the devastating impact of apartheid on personal and social life. It emphasizes how the oppressive system forced individuals to choose between their family duties and their duty towards their community, making it impossible to fulfill both simultaneously.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify the first obligation from the text: duty to family (parents, wife, children).
Step 2: Identify the second obligation from the text: duty to people, community, and country.
Step 3: Contextualize the conflict: Under apartheid in South Africa, fulfilling one obligation (to the people) meant sacrificing the other (to the family).