South Africa: Nelson Mandela's Legacy - the Rorschach Test for South African Politicians

analysis

Almost every major political party in South Africa - with the notable exception of the Economic Freedom Fighters - has, at some point, claimed that it alone is the best representative of Nelson Mandela's values in South African politics. There are few global figures, if any, whose legacy has been so exhaustively flogged in the hope of winning over voters. With the centenary of Mandela's birth coinciding with the run-up to the 2019 elections, we can expect a lot more of this. But it's also a risky political strategy.

Nelson Mandela's ears must be ringing in his grave daily. Mandela's life and legacy has become a kind of Rorschach test for South African politicians, able to be interpreted in multiple ways depending on who's looking at it - and ultimately revealing more about the viewer than the man himself.

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