Mandela is perhaps the greatest human being on earth today! He showed the way a moth becomes a butterfly. He was virtually Christ re-incarnated. If Africa is gradually joining the mainstream,it is in no small measure due to Mr. Mandela's efforts. His confinement at Robben Island for 20 years is a marvel of endurance of the human spirit.
Mandela was born without any privileges or signs of greatness but attained it by his sheer efforts. He started his political career with the ANC as a radical even resorted to violence,at times. Those were turbulent times when apartheid was at its worst! The local population(blacks(sic)) were treated worse than animals. They were routinely flogged,shot,women raped and murdered. They were denied the slightest vestiges of dignity. They worked as serfs in large farms owned by the whites(sic) for a pittance. The whole economy was based on exploitation of man by man. Though the West pretended to boycott SA,in fact they were the most ardent supporters of Apartheid! Any resistance was brutally suppressed by the SA regime. When Mandela was released towards the end of the 20th century,the cold war was at its peak, and the global reality demanded that the SA regime should be violently overthrown. But Mandela,swimming against the tide,chose the path of moderation and restraint,much to the displeasure of his ardent supporters and family. He immediately opened dialogue with Mr.De-clerk,the PM,who responded like a statesman and both men gradually persuaded their constituents to follow the path of non-violence,peace and democracy.
It was a great challenge for South Africa to make a clean break from the past and transform itself from a feudal,violence ridden society to a peaceful and democratic society wedded to the ideals of democracy,liberty,equality,fraternity and justice! May Mr. Mandela's tribe grow all over the world!
Mandela was born without any privileges or signs of greatness but attained it by his sheer efforts. He started his political career with the ANC as a radical even resorted to violence,at times. Those were turbulent times when apartheid was at its worst! The local population(blacks(sic)) were treated worse than animals. They were routinely flogged,shot,women raped and murdered. They were denied the slightest vestiges of dignity. They worked as serfs in large farms owned by the whites(sic) for a pittance. The whole economy was based on exploitation of man by man. Though the West pretended to boycott SA,in fact they were the most ardent supporters of Apartheid! Any resistance was brutally suppressed by the SA regime. When Mandela was released towards the end of the 20th century,the cold war was at its peak, and the global reality demanded that the SA regime should be violently overthrown. But Mandela,swimming against the tide,chose the path of moderation and restraint,much to the displeasure of his ardent supporters and family. He immediately opened dialogue with Mr.De-clerk,the PM,who responded like a statesman and both men gradually persuaded their constituents to follow the path of non-violence,peace and democracy.
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