Washington, D.c — South African Ambassador to the United States, Welile Nhlapo, has confirmed he is in talks with United States' State Department officials and lawmakers to strike Nelson Mandela's name off the country's list of terrorists ahead of his 90th birthday on July 18.

The former president and freedom fighter remains on America's list of terrorists more than a decade after the defeat of the apartheid regime, an issue that has become a source of concern to lawmakers and democracy supporters around the world.

"We have been able to clarify and resolve certain questions that were hanging in the minds of some people as to whether to support the process or not," said the South African envoy.

He added: "We are trying ourselves to talk to some of these people, clarify what else they may have on their mind ... so that we can get this over."

Nhlapo's discussions with the lawmakers is the latest of efforts geared towards resolving the issue. Back in April this year, the US Congress formally introduced a legislation to remove Mandela's name from the terror list.

The bill was passed in the House of Representatives on May 8 2008 but is awaiting approval from the Congress.

The State Department has publicly stated that it fully supports the move but the administrative process has been somewhat slow, hence the reason why a bill was introduced to deal with the matter.

The African National Congress (ANC), a symbol of the struggle against apartheid, was regarded as a terrorist organisation in the US because of its armed struggle. Mandela and other members of the ANC still require special permission to enter the US even decades after the end of apartheid.

Mandela spent 27 years in prison, much of it on Robben Island. He was released on February 11, 1990.