Mandela death unlikely to result in increased racial tension, violence
by Wyndham Hartley
2013-12-09 07:45:07.0
NELSON Mandela will remain in death what he was in life — a symbol of reconciliation — and his death is unlikely to result in increased racial tension and violence, as feared by some doomsayers.
Since his death on Thursday night tributes from a host of conservative organisations, including the white separatists in Orania, seem to indicate his death is felt by South Africans across the spectrum.
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said on Friday that prophecies that South Africa would go up in flames following Mr Mandela’s death were wrong and a disservice to the humanity of all South Africans.
Former president FW de Klerk, who shared a Nobel peace prize with Mandela, told a news conference: "I am convinced that the majority of Afrikaners have an understanding and appreciation for him and the way he reached out to them and will remember the way he went to Orania to see Mrs Betsie Verwoerd."
However, he said there was indeed a small minority in the country who felt differently, "like the ones who still call me a traitor".
The Afrikaans cultural movement Orania and former president Nelson Mandela shared the same view of mutual recognition, Orania leader Carel Boshoff said on Friday in a tribute to the struggle icon.
Mr Boshoff sent his condolences to Mandela’s family.
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder sent condolences to Mr Mandela’s wife, Graça Machel, and to the Mandela family. "It is given to few men to live out their dreams in their lifetime," he said.
Mandela succeeded in doing this "against the most colossal odds". "Can one person make a difference in politics? In my youth I was involved in many debates about this. One person alone has very little real influence on all these variables, I argued. I was wrong."
Mr Mulder said no one could have predicted the effect that Mandela would have on both black and white people. Mr Mulder said Mandela did not pander to popularity and remembered him reprimanding a 40,000-strong crowd for not singing the Afrikaans verses of the national anthem. "After a breakfast meeting and an hour-long discussion alone with him in the 1990s, my conclusion was that friendliness and humility were his strongest qualities, but one should not … doubt his iron resolve to achieve his goals."
Desmond Tutu. Picture: THE TIMES
NELSON Mandela will remain in death what he was in life — a symbol of reconciliation — and his death is unlikely to result in increased racial tension and violence, as feared by some doomsayers.
Since his death on Thursday night tributes from a host of conservative organisations, including the white separatists in Orania, seem to indicate his death is felt by South Africans across the spectrum.
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said on Friday that prophecies that South Africa would go up in flames following Mr Mandela’s death were wrong and a disservice to the humanity of all South Africans.
Former president FW de Klerk, who shared a Nobel peace prize with Mandela, told a news conference: "I am convinced that the majority of Afrikaners have an understanding and appreciation for him and the way he reached out to them and will remember the way he went to Orania to see Mrs Betsie Verwoerd."
However, he said there was indeed a small minority in the country who felt differently, "like the ones who still call me a traitor".
The Afrikaans cultural movement Orania and former president Nelson Mandela shared the same view of mutual recognition, Orania leader Carel Boshoff said on Friday in a tribute to the struggle icon.
Mr Boshoff sent his condolences to Mandela’s family.
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder sent condolences to Mr Mandela’s wife, Graça Machel, and to the Mandela family. "It is given to few men to live out their dreams in their lifetime," he said.
Mandela succeeded in doing this "against the most colossal odds". "Can one person make a difference in politics? In my youth I was involved in many debates about this. One person alone has very little real influence on all these variables, I argued. I was wrong."
Mr Mulder said no one could have predicted the effect that Mandela would have on both black and white people. Mr Mulder said Mandela did not pander to popularity and remembered him reprimanding a 40,000-strong crowd for not singing the Afrikaans verses of the national anthem. "After a breakfast meeting and an hour-long discussion alone with him in the 1990s, my conclusion was that friendliness and humility were his strongest qualities, but one should not … doubt his iron resolve to achieve his goals."
