The white South African Government tried to suppress all material about Mandella in the 50s and 60s . Many white Americans believed the propaganda about his supposed communist sympathies . He was a member in the early days , just as he would accept help from a variety of other sources , after exhausting all other avenues . The lie about his later connection was corrected , in part , by the awarding of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal .
As he said many times he was not a saint , but he did hold South Africa together after playing a major role in the downfall of apartheid ( separate development , white and black ) . He was prepared to take the long view , changes such as he brought about can take decades and a certain preparedness to do whatever it may take . He stayed with his principles . It is worth noting the range of political leaders assembling today in South Africa and that Madiba stopped two potential civil wars , black on white and later black on black . He showed that power could be peacefully transferred between administrations after years , not decades .
Madella's work still goes on . Corruption is a major problem throughout most of Africa and unfortunately South Africa is no exception .
I should mention that Australia played a significant role in bringing down apartheid through sanctions applied both within and outside the British Commonwealth . Investment sanctions were the most effective and were the ones that brought the then President F. W. de Klerk to the table .
I acknowledge many sources , some are mentioned above and live Australian television coverage of his release from the Victor Verster Prison ( from memory , his release went on for hours with many false starts . I still remember the single camera shot of the main wall and gates and his eventual walking out through them punching the air with his then wife . )
Official List :
( Is there anyone else who could bring the following people together ? Some of the titles may not be quite right . )
| Afghanistan, His Excellency Hamid Karzai, President | Mozambique, President of Mozambique, HE Armando Emilio Guebuza |
| Algeria, His Excellency Mr Abdelkader Bensalah, Speaker of the Council of the Nation (Senate) – rank above the Prime Minister | Namibia, His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba, President |
| Angola, His Excellency Mr Manuel Vicente, Vice President | Niger, His Excellency Issoufou Mahamdou, President |
| Argentina, Mr Amado Boudou, Acting President of Argentina | New Zealand, Right Hon John Key, Prime Minister |
| Australia, His Excellency Mr Tony Abbott, MP, Prime Minister | Nigeria, His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan, President |
| Bahamas, Right Honourable Perry Christie, Prime Minister | Niger, His Excellency Mahamadou, President of Niger |
| Bangladesh, His Excellency Mr Md. Abdul Hamid MD ABDUL, President | Norway, His Royal Highness Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway |
| Belgium, His Royal Highness King Philippe | Pakistan, His Excellency Mr Mamnoon Hussain, President |
| Benin, His Excellency Boni Yayi, President | Palestinian State, His Excellency Mahmoud Abbas, President |
| Botswana, His Excellency Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President | Portugal, His Excellency, Anibal Cavaco Silva, President |
| Brazil, Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff, President | Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince |
| Burundi, His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza, President | Saharawi Republic, His Excellency Mr Mohamed Abdelaziz, President |
| Canada, His Excellency Stephen Harper, Prime Minister | Senegal, His Excellency Macky Sall, President |
| Chad, His Excellency Mr Idriss Deby Itno, President | Serbia, His Excellency Tomislav Nikolic, President |
| China, His Excellency Li Yuanchao, Vice President | Seychelles, His Excellency Mr James Alix MICHEL |
| Comoros, His Excellency Dr Ikiliou Dhoinine, President | Spain, His Royal Highness Felipe de Borbon, The Prince of Asturias |
| Congo (Republic of the Congo), His Excellency Mr Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President | Sri Lanka, His ExcellencyMahinda Rajapaksa, President |
| Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo), His Excellency Joseph Kabila, President | Sudan, His Excellency Bakri Hassan Salih, Vice President |
| Cote d Ivoire, His Excellency President Allassane Ouattara, President | Slovenia, His Excellency Pahor, President |
| Croatia, His Excellency Josipovic Ivo, President | South Sudan, His Excellency General Salva Kir Mayardit, President |
| Cuba, His Excellency Raul Castro Ruz, President | Sweden,His Excellency Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria. |
| Denmark, His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Federick | Switzerland, His Excellency Mr Ulrich Maurer, President |
| Djibouti, His Excellency Ismail Omar Guelleh, President | Swaziland, His Excellency Dr Sibusiso Dlamini, Prime Minister |
| Ethiopia, His Excellency Ato Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister | Suriname, His Excellency Desire Delano Bouterse, President |
| Equatorial Guinea, His Excellency Mr Obiang Mbasogo, President | Tanzania, His Excellency Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President |
| France, His Excellency, Francois Hollande, President | Timor-Leste, His Excellency Kay Rala Xanana, Prime Minister |
| Finland, His Excellency Sauli Niinisto, President | Tunisia, His Excellency Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, President |
| Gabon, His Excellency Ali Bongo Ondimba, President | Trinidad and Tobago, His Excellency Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister |
| The Gambia, His Excellency Prof Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh, President Sheikh | Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Kagota Museveni, President |
| Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President | United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Sheikh Nayahan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture – Special Envoy of the Emir |
| Germany, His Excellency Joachim Gauck, President | United Kingdom, His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron |
| Guyana, His Excellency Donald Ramotar, President |
United States of America, His Excellency Barack Obama, President
|
| Guinea, His Excellency Prof Alpha Conde, President | Venezuela, His Excellency Nicolas Maduro Moros, President |
| India, His Excellency Pranab Mukherjee, President | Zimbabwe, His Excellency Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President |
| Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins, President | Zambia His Excellency Michael Sata, President |
| Italy, His Excellency Enrico Letta, Prime Minister | Arab States League, His Excellency Amb Samir Hosny, Minister |
| Japan, His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Naruhito | African Union Commission, Her Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson |
| Jamaica, Her Excellency, Portia Simpson Miller, Prime Minister | Commonwealth, His Excellency, Mr Kamalesh Sharma |
| Jordan, Her Royal Highness, Queen Rania Al Abdullah and His Excellency Prime Minister Dr Abdullah Ensour | European Council, His Excellency Mr Herman van Rompuy, President |
| Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President | Mexico, His Excellency Enrique Pena Nieto President of Mexico |
| Korea (South), His Excellency Hongwon Chung, Prime Minister | Mauritius, His Excellency Dr the Honourable Navinchandra, Prime Minister |
| Lebanon, His Excellency Mr Najib Mikati, Prime Minister | Mauritania, His Excellency Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President |
| Lesotho, His Excellency, T Thabane, Prime Minister | Malawi, Her Excellency Joyce Banda, President |
| Liberia, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President | Grand Duchy of LUXEMBOURG, His Royal Highness Henry of Luxembourg, The Grand Duke |
I noticed that many commentators at the Service said that he founded the Military Wing of the ANC , which is not correct , he took it over after the police shot and killed the Wing's founder . Most bombings etc. took place when the target would be closed , i.e. outside of normal business hours etc. and casualties would be eliminated or at least reduced , unlike the present day Middle East where the aim is to kill and maim .
Nelson Mandella Foundation
Our investment sanctions helped bring down apartheid
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