South Africa: Book Shows the Folly of Painting Mandela As Either Saint or Sellout

analysis

There are two widely available views of Nelson Mandela, the first post-apartheid president of South Africa. The first is a reverential and uncritical celebration of his life and achievements. It resonated in the obituaries and eulogies when Mandela died in December 2013.

Madiba (his clan name) was "sent by God", said Irish newspaper magnate Tony O'Reilly, who's said to have been a friend of Mandela's. His purchase of South Africa's then largest newspaper company, Argus Newspapers, was made possible by Mandela's support. Former American president Barack Obama declared that Mandela

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