Madiba: The man behind the myth
On December 5 2013, South Africa — and much of the world — came to a standstill with the news that Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela had died. Back then his legacy seemed unimpeachable, but these days there are many who consider him a sellout. Nick Dall reflects on his rightful place in the pantheon of South African greats
03 December 2023 - 00:00
Nelson Mandela looms over South Africa’s history like a colossus. He is the most famous and perhaps the greatest man South Africa has produced. But he was also, as he himself often noted, a human being with human flaws. “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying,” he once said. Anyone who’s read Jonny Steinberg’s Winnie and Nelson will be well aware of his failings as a husband, and these are not in dispute...
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