Not another book about Nelson Mandela...
Haven't we heard enough about the planet's most famous living icon - down to his favourite foods, his childhood fables, his celebrity friends; can there really be any more money or meaning to be milked? Even his own archivist admits, bluntly, that the world is suffering from "Mandela fatigue".
The book has been pulled together by the Nelson Mandela Foundation's archivist, Verne Harris, from Mr Mandela's private notebooks, prison diaries, letters and conversations. It includes parts of an unfinished sequel to his famously inspirational, but sometimes rather dry autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom.
The voice that now emerges is much more intimate, more contemplative, more vulnerable - the voice of a husband and father, talking about his dreams, his insecurities, his sex life (or lack of it in prison), and allegations that he beat his first wife.
"It's very important that he should not be portrayed as a saint," said Mac Maharaj, another liberation hero who spent 12 years on Robben Island with Mr Mandela. "This is a great window on the private man... You see the intensity of his pain" in his letters to his family from prison.
The book is published at a time when, as the 92-year-old former South African president's health continues to fade, some of his aides are warning of a "more and more brutal" battle for control of his legacy, and of the wealth that the Mandela "brand name" can still generate. The opening of the archives is part of a broader campaign to address such issues.
"The idea that people in leadership positions are not ordinary humans is a very dangerous concept. If we just reduce him to a set of values, I think we gain nothing from him," Mr Maharaj told me, arguing that Mr Mandela himself has never shown any interest in his legacy. "He is comfortable in his skin. Every person who starts worrying about his or her legacy begins to stumble," he told me. "Read Tony Blair's biography."
Despite being one of the most famous people in the world, Mr Mandela - widely known as Madiba - has carefully guarded his privacy. Some of his closest friends admit that he can be "a bit of an enigma. He has never revealed his very innermost feelings," said Amina Cachalia, who first met him in the 1940s. "I think the world has a fair idea of the man... but he is very careful, very conscious of what he says. I always felt he had built a wall around himself. But the iconic image is also very true and correct because he is that man."
Speaking of the new book, Ahmed Kathrada - another old friend who spent decades in prison alongside Mr Mandela - said "a lot has been written about him but hardly anything in his own words. There's just nothing like that. Now the genuine man comes to the fore, in his own words, so the world will have the opportunity to see that for the first time."
Mr Harris showed me the contents of archives - much of which had been brought in haphazardly, in boxes, by Mr Mandela himself from his nearby home in the suburbs of Johannesburg. There are faded photographs from the 1950s, cheerful apartheid-era tourism calendars that he filled in on Robben Island, letters to his former wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, and a clutter of notebooks - one with "Garfield" the cat prominent in the top corner.
"He was very uncomfortable with his 'saint' image. The theme through this collection is that this is a human being we can all identify with. A more engaging, more accessible human being, in some ways more attractive, in some ways less attractive... not an icon beyond our reach," said Mr Harris whose research left him feeling "a great relief to find out" that Mr Mandela was not "just a hero."
"We have to embrace [Mr Mandela's] flaws in order to develop an understanding of what he means to us as a country," says Mr Harris.
As for the "battle" over Mr Mandela's legacy - Mr Harris is frank about the risk of an ugly power-struggle between the Foundation, competing sides of Mandela's extended family, and the various political organisations and interest groups "jockeying for position, contesting for space. That name has a value, that image has a value, and who gets to control it?" he asks.
But Mr Harris acknowledged that "contestation" is a good, necessary thing, provided "it is done in a proper, seemly, dignified and liberationary way." He hoped the book would help show that "nobody has clean hands - Madiba acknowledges that," and that no individual could secure total control of his legacy.
Mr Maharaj agreed - arguing that as the "the first icon of the information highway," any attempt to control his legacy "will fail... I'm not worried."
Although Mr Mandela's failing short-term memory and visible frailty concern many here, Mr Harris saw him only a few days ago and said he was on good form, playfully fooling around with his signature as he signed a copy of the new book for the man who wrote the foreword, President Barack Obama.
Here are just a handful of excerpts that jumped out at me during a brief tour of the archives.
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Regarding claims that he beat his first wife, Evelyn: "I caught hold of her and twisted her arm, enough for me to take this thing out (a red hot poker she was brandishing)... that's all."
- Letters to Winnie from prison: "I know in you the devastating beauty and charm which ten stormy years of married life have not chilled... My longing for you... If I could be on your side and squeeze you... I feel as if I have been soaked in gall, every part of me, my flesh, bloodstream, bone and soul, so bitter I am to be completely powerless to help you in the rough and fierce ordeals you are going through.
- Letter to his daughter from prison: "Once again our beloved mummy has been arrested and now she and daddy are away in jail. My heart bleeds as I think of her sitting in some police cell far away from home... longing for her little ones. It may be many months or even years before you see her again... do you see now what a brave mummy we have?"
- Asked in an interview about whether he thought Winnie might be having affairs while he was in prison: "One must not be inquisitive... I resigned myself to the fact that I had no opportunity for sexual expression and I could deal with that...
- Letter to commanding officer in prison, following his son's death: "I wish to attend, at my own cost, the funeral proceedings and to pay my last respects to his memory. It is my earnest hope that you will... approach this request more humanely than you treated a similar application I made barely ten months ago... for leave to attend my mother's funeral."
- From his prison diaries: "Gossiping about others is certainly a vice, a virtue when about oneself."
"Dreamt of Kgatho [his son] falling into ditch and injuring leg." "Raid by approximately 15 warders under w/o Barnard."
"DDD syndrome: debility, dependency, dread."
"It's easy to hope, it's the wanting that spoils it."
"Milk for tea... new blade... Nescafe, mustard, coconut cookies, sandwich spread, marmite, fray bentos."
- On meeting the playwright, Arthur Miller: "Like all truly great men, he did not throw his weight about."
- From the unfinished sequel to "Long Walk to Freedom": "As a young man I combined all the weaknesses, errors and indiscretions of a country boy, whose range of vision and experience was influenced mainly be events in the area. I relied on arrogance in order to hide my weaknesses.
"One issue that deeply worried me in prison was the false image that I unwittingly projected to the outside world: of being regarded as a saint. I never was one, even on the basis of an early definition of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying."
- On Queen Elizabeth: "She is a fine lady... she has a wonderful sense of humour... she was just sparkling and completely at ease. I thought she was a great lady, also very sharp. Very sharp. There may be a great deal of formality around her, but... as an individual is a very simple person, very plain. I formed a good impression of her."
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~52~RS~)
I’m 
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No, not a saint, but a wonderful human being...I love him, saint, or no! I love him for his humanity!
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In Paul Trewhla's book "inside Quatro" a book focussing on the human rights abuses of the ANC in Zambia, Angola and Tanzania, there is indication that the myth of Mandela was a plan hatched by the South African Communist Party. The creatively named "M-plan" plan of 1958, with "M" standing for Mandela. According to Mr. Trewhla trivialized politics which took the issue of matters of substance away and had all the focus placed on one man, Mandela. This became a spectacle worldwide in which a single individual cast a shadow on a large audience through his non-presence.
Mr. Mandela may not have wanted the limelight but I doubt whether the ANC would have had otherwise.
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For a brief few moments as I read the opening words I thought "at last. Someone is asking why the media is spnding so much of its precious resource and time on this pleasant but essentially insignificant individual." Then I realised you were not talking about Stephen Fry, but instead taking a pop at Nelson Mandela. Why? Mandela's impact on lives around the world has been immense, and overwhelmingly for the good. That is not to make excuses and place him above criticism. However, as your complaint is about someone getting an undeserved amount of publicity, maybe you should aim it at those, like Stephen Fry, who seem to have made a virtue of being trivial and self-opinionated. Though in all fairness, I suspect Mr Fry might agree with me, up to a point.
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Mandiba our great hero from Africa might not be a saint but he would remain our hope for a true African leader. saint or no saint we love him, we appreciate his attempt to be modest but he deserves all the recgnition he gets.
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Andrew you asked if we haven’t had enough about the man. It’s the most ironic question I ever expect to come from someone like you. I saw your report on the Hub with Nick Guy and I laughed when I heard the vocabularies you used to try disqualify impotent of the release.
Just yesterday on BBC world they had a big talks and reports about your john Lennon, just a singer who died decades ago but yet your BBC have so much to keep saying about him and thousands of things to make money from via his name. Not only Lennon but nearly on every English name you always try to make history and make it look like just another twine brother of Jesus or sister of the queen so why you don’t like to hear the name Mandela? Take for example of the latest Nobel Economics prize winners what they really did to be on that list?
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I know nothing about Mandela's past, and my knowledge of him is limited to his presidency of his country, which, while positively remarkable in many ways, also failed many of his people and betrayed the struggle for economic justice in his country - which he fought so courageously for. I am aware that being a leader isn't easy, but what could possibly excuse his refusal to address the HIV/AIDS infection rate in his country before it reached pandemic levels? All that was needed was merely an acknowledgement of it, and a serious public education campaign of the kind that was proving so effective in Uganda. Yet, he acquiesced in the culture of denial until his own son, sadly, became a victim.
Or take the issue of graft within the ANC. To this day, not a word has been uttered in condemnation of those involved. Even the fact that such levels of corruption have naturally impeded any attempt to reduce poverty hasn't moved him one bit.
And what about his refusal to condemn the flagrant misrule that keeps my continent in misery? On the contrary, who can forget the now infamous photograph of him posing happily with Charles Taylor, when he must have known about Taylor's ghastly atrocities?
I can therefore only hope that this book goes quite a long way in achieving tha stated aim: debunking the myth about his supposed sainthood.
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If you think that this is sensational then just wait for his deathbed confession that the country would have been better off had the ANC not had won the 94 election and instead had learnt the job of government from the side of the opposition as they had (and still don’t) have any idea how to run a country – other than in to the ground while making themselves rich.
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I've a lot of respect for Mr Mandela's fight against apartheid and his abilities as a leader. Apartheid was a foul system that needed change. However the portrayal of Nelson Mandela as a Saint, or even a 2nd Martin Luther King is ridiculous. Mandela was trained in guerilla warfare by the KGB, headed up the ANC's armed wing, was jailed for his part in a bombing campaign (which he admits he was guilty of) and would have been released from jail a decade earlier if he'd publically renounced violence. In addition his attitude to some of the (black) despots in Africa is hypocritical.. the fact he was inviting Charles Taylor to dinner (with Naomi Campbell) and refuses to criticise Mugabe speaks volumes. Personally I consider Desmond Tutu a far better role model for Africans to follow.
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I have never trusted politicians, bar one... Nelson Mandela. Most definitely a man of his word... and no ordinary man. Of course his name will be exploited as are all the names of those who were in similar situations. It is human nature to exploit, but there is a nice way or a grotesque way to do it. Let's hope that it happens in the nice way in this instance.
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#9 Mandela was only officially a politician for a handful of years. I can think of dozens who have served their people far better than Mandela did. In fact I'd even rate Castro higher... he's greatly flawed in many respects but compared to previous Cuban regimes he's done an amazing job at providing for everyone in the country. Mandela didn't.
With Mandela you have a man who'll criticise Tony Blair, but not Mugabe or Charles Taylor. Thats not worthy of respect.
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@#10 He is not worthy for you not for us Africans, he is Moses to us. And I am sure that if Michael H. Hart decides to rewrite his book (the 100) Mandela could score well. The west get use the idea of using full time puppets which if they were told blow-up this or that person he is no good they will rush quickly to do it. Just like the Middle East leaders today, but on Mandela and Mbeki that loophole was not full time open. Therefore they had to become the victims of the white western media. Why Mandela should condemned Mugabe, is just because you say so? What Mugabe did wrong? Did he invade Iraq with falls pretence to be hunting WMDs? Such claims presented on a sex-up Document which up to now none can prove? Why your mindset is so corrupt?
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The trimmed comment #11
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Here we go and Andrew Harding who thinks enough has been told about Mandela you can see how ignorance is harming people like the writer of comment number 6 & 8 and I am sure many will come and join the queue of the blinds.
I am one of those who formally believe that the worst evil the Europeans did to the Africans is not by just killing people like Patrice Lumumba, Thoma Sankara, kouame kourouma etc but the ways Europeans portrayed those African warriors and destroyed their names and their history. Very few Africans knows anything good about our warriors therefore none will ever likes to be like them instead they will keep admiring only Georges Pauls, johns and Jameses.
You AKPAN already said you don’t know about the man then why you don’t and talk on something you know maybe the level of corruption in countries like Spain & Greece which drive that countries to the bankruptcy situation they are in? I am sure that until we Africans start writing our own history on our versions the oppressor will always like to score on every of his words.
If you don’t know the realty of HIV then don't talk. few months ago Andrew Harding posted article here about HIV in South Africa and he as normally he followed his predecessors on bashing Africa, and on the thread I gave comment and I gave a link of a speech done by Mbeki in the years of Mandela in office (1997-1998) and Mbeki addressed the real threat of the man made AIDs direct.
The existent of such speech it explain the dishonest & bias of the western media on Africans particularly Mbeki-South Africa on the AIDS saga, if they want sale their ideas (ARVs) they just close their blind eyes and say whatever they want as they don’t care about truth but only about their versions.
Leave the lies and exaggerations western media lied and manipulated on the Aids issue in Africa; but the realty, AIDS is a big business venture invented, exploited and then benefited by some particular money making groups in the west.
Did you read the latest news about HIV in Africa just came out few weeks ago? Concern to the Taylor question; who really dealt with him and keep getting blood diamonds? Did you watch the movie blood diamonds? Who really tried to end that? Do you know something calls the “Kimberley Process»? If yes then what is about and who engineered it?
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Whoever is so dear to our heart is without blemish! Saint or not, he remains our FULL NELSON!
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To Peter_Sym: I agree with much of your post, but can't quite reconcile your assertion that apartheid was "a foul system that needed change" on the one hand, with your criticism of Mandela for resorting to armed struggle in a bid to effect that change. As the man himself said during (I believe) the infamous Rivona trial, every peaceful protest was met with savage brutality. What option was he left with? Perhaps he should have campaigned for economic sanctions instead, but as you know, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher were determined to undermine them, and Israel was a staunch supporter of the regime - to the extent of supplying it with nuclear weapons. There was clearly no option left, and the immediate past British Foreign Secretary, David Milliband, effectively acknowledged this when he cited the South African situation as an example of an instance where violence is justifiable.
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Andrew's piece focuses as much on the Archive as on the man. Having visited the Archive myself I agree that it is a fascinating collection of items. The UK's Department for International Development contributed to it's establishment helping to provide a lasting memory of Mandela.
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There is no doubt Madiba is a great man he is not a saint and he himself says he is not. To expect him to get it right and have all information at the right time is to make a saint out of him. To suggest he should not have taken pictures with Charles Taylor(or host him) and Naomi is wrong. Remember Charles Taylor was president of an African state at that time! lastly, Mandela"s position on Mugabe while he was president is a mirror of ANC s position. I agree Mandela was president of ANC but remember Mugabe was a staunch supporter of the anti apartheid struggle. That till today is still seen in SAs policies as it concerns Zimbabwe. To us in South Africa, Madiba is the father of the nation, a great man, an icon. It is a priviledge to have lived in you time!
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10. At 2:34pm on 12 Oct 2010, Peter_Sym wrote:
#9 Mandela was only officially a politician for a handful of years. I can think of dozens who have served their people far better than Mandela did. In fact I'd even rate Castro higher... he's greatly flawed in many respects but compared to previous Cuban regimes he's done an amazing job at providing for everyone in the country. Mandela didn't.
With Mandela you have a man who'll criticise Tony Blair, but not Mugabe or Charles Taylor. Thats not worthy of respect.
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Perhaps in the media you use they don't report facts.
Fact 1: Mandela is still in the service of his country, despite trying to retire.
Fact 2: He said he would serve one term as President and then hand over to a younger man. He did. How many others have done the same thing. Even your hero, Castro did not submit to the will of the peoiple in an election, he annointed his brother. Castro has managed to make everyone equally poor, hardly a commendable epitaph. Mandela started what is now a large Black middle class. It took centuries for Europe to get to its relative prosperity, yet you think Africa can do it overnight.
Fact 3: Mandela has condemned both Charles Taylor and Mugabe
Madiba had given up more than any other man in contemporary history and despiet all the accolades that people try and adorn him with, he tries not to accept them. He gave 27 years of his life for the people of South Africa. He could have been released many times, with conditions, but was prepared to wait until it was unconditional release. This destroyed his marriage and put a major strain on his relationship with his children.
If you want a real perspective of the great man, perhaps you should ask those that were brought up to believe he was the greatest threat to their lives and should have been hung because he was a traitor to South Africa and what they think of him now, having seen him "in action." Men like Francois Pienaar or Shaun Pollock. Hansie Cronje was another convert.
I have two fathers, my biological father, who I love and the father of my country, Nelson Mandela, who I love equally.
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I am a Christian Methodist;born in Mozambique.
Methodist believe that all Christians are Saints.
Nelson Mandela is,by the influence and dimension of his actions,worth being named Saint to the satisfaction of popular opinion.Yes!
I fail to understand why,though himself reject this,if we are to gratify and honor the holiest living human,should not be considered a Saint.
This may be the first case in human History to have an African with strong arguments outside Christianity to such a title.
Would the Church Oppose such Possibility and why?
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Saint or not saint ... he is is hero for Africa ... a person who has kept his ego under control. viva!
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Harding when will you find your voice again?
What happened to your negative one sided reports about the ruling ANC in South Africa?
Why not find another walker by who PRAISES Apartheid, ro tell us how good it was under the REGIME of White Led Gov in SA!!
Waiting for you to find your voice again!
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Mandela is a great ststes man and from what he has gone through to bring his country where it is now it should be is decission to be called what he wants other than what others think he should be.Therefor him being asaint it is not enough because his was afight for freedom.
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SHAME ON YOU ALL.
To some Mandela was a great man. To others Ghandi was a greater man as is the female activist Aung Sung Suu Kyi to others.
What the world needs is more heroes and less bitter and twisted black individuals whose hatred, lack of respect and chips on their shoulders only add to their inability to see that the people who they slag off in this column are no better than the double standards these individuals advocate and the respect for leaders such as Mandela or Ghandi or Aung Sung Suu Kyi whom they help associate, in this column, with the exact opposite of what they advocated- TOLERANCE and FORGIVENESS.
Free speech is one of the cornerstones of a free country based on liberal thinking and with this comes the respect for others opinions. J.S Mill once wrote:
"if all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind"
Have respect for others opinions Africa and show your respect for the hard work that all these heroes have suffered for.
Grow up!
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@Afrikaner\
By the way that includes Andrew Harding's opinion- he has the right to pen whatever and whenever he feels fit. Lose the self importance.
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@Martyn abrahams
Of cause even the Afrikaners are allowed to voice their Bitterness here, having lost power in SA!!
You are right!
You and Harding can also voice your opinions too!!
Harding can carry on with his opinions!!No one is blocking him!!
Harding put pen to paper!!
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No one said Harding is writting ''STUPID'' stories!!
He is our Africa Correspondent lets bare with him!!
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The BBC should imitate the New York Times system and allow people to commend other comments, instead of having only the option of complaining. Often I find that someone has already put it as I would have, and there's no need to add anything. In that spirit, I commend letters #13 and 18.
I'm not african, but I work and socialize with Cameroonians, and hearing their take on recent african history is an eye-opener, even to someone who generally takes a liberal and anti-colonialist view of things. We europeans and americans don't often see the big picture on Africa, and we are mostly unaware of the dreadful manipulation and brutality perpetrated either directly or indirectly by our own elected governments on the african people, serving the interests of multinational corporations. For instance when people in France or in England complain that their respective governments are trying to reduce their hard-won social advantages, they forget that it was only possible to pay for those advantages by stealing precious commodities from colonies, by setting up and maintaining corrupt repressive criminels in power. We wouldn't even be able to afford individual cell phones if we were forced to pay the real value for certain minerals used to make them. So a brutal dictator is enriched with his family and inner circle, and in return business is done, entirely to the advantage of the companies and governments collaborating together. The ordinary people, living on top of these precious resources, get nothing, and live in worse poverty than any westerner could imagine. And this is done by our countries to theirs, and it is therefore entirely unfair and misinformed to blame africans for their misfortunes.
Of course, the world is a messy place, and people in power everywhere tend to be corrupt. Some day things may be reversed, and westerners will find out what it's like to be the bottom of the heap. All the more reason to celebrate the life of one leader who saw things clearly and compassionately, and made difficult decisions in the name of justice, and at his own expense. Viva Nelson Mandela! If he's not a saint I don't know who is.
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@#27: Thank you so much, you said it VERY well. And people can see how the Harding teams around the west targets the new China after the west came to realised that Mr China is moving from the known old China to a Brand new powerful China.
And now to Andrew Harding and his militias, as you use to say that you are bashing Africa in the good spirit that one day they can change after you only focus on the negativities then I will also like to remind you that we are not hating your west or your England but we are saying this on the good spirits that your policies which enslave us for generations will change via this.
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@dede-sunbeam
It may be that the West played a part in colonialism up until 14 years ago... however let me tell you that the only reason Africa suffers today is because of mismanagement, elitism, corruption and incompetence- NOT necessarily entirely because of the West.
As a matter of fast the West has poured billions of dollars into Africa- where has all that money gone? Into the coffers of the elite. Where has the money from India and China gone? Into the coffers of the elite with no strings like human rights and democracy attached.
Half of what you say makes no sense whatsoever as well.
However, I am a white African and I can tell you that the West's involvement in Africa whether be for the better or the worst is still a far better option with regards to human right, democracys and progress than what China or India has to offer.
Your commendation of #13 and 18 also shows your lack of perspective and understanding when it comes to history- either that or you are cultivating a "going native" American outlook. When you having your hair braided?
Castro is a dictator firstly who has incarcerated his own people and murdered a whole lot more and now the economy is in free fall and they having to adopt liberal market processes. Who are you to defend this man when what you say contradicts everything else that you have stated with regards to equal rights?
Lastly, I do business in Africa and let me tell you it's frustrating because it is hard to find a African (not all) whose work ethic shines through. Fact!
Just because you are friends with Cameroonies does not open your eyes no more than me saying all Americans are stupid and ignorant.
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Im a white South African. Mandela is an oppurtunist. He had 2 choices when being released from prison; prove the whites right by running a campaign of retribution against whites and become infamous; or, come out as a forgiving person and get the whole world to love you even though its all a lie.
The ANC used to keep company such a ETA, PLO, and many other present day terrorist organisations. The ANC arent even the true liberators of black south africans. Mandela ran bombing campaigns against innocent white civilians. South Africa is run by terrorists who got lucky. They are bad people, they have hoodwinked the world into believeing that they are saints. The ANC are bad for South Africa, they have plundered national coffers and neglected their civic responsibilities for over a decade.
You dont believe that the ANC are bad?? well then just go and look at how they defend Mugabe. They were all buddies back in the "liberation" days. The ANC are a gang of fat cats who care not about the people who put them in power but only about how much tenders they can award themselves through shady government deals.
You the international community have been fooled into believing that the ANC are just and true. You think that theyre better than the apartheid government? Wrong! Unemployment was far lower during apartheid; crime was lower during apartheid; corruption was not so widespread during apartheid. Besides the racist policies, the Apartheid government ran South Africa properly and things worked.
The old government should have split the country into one black and the other white. We should never have given power to these corrupt terrorist fat cats because we (both blacks and whites) are now watching our ENTIRE country burn to the ground.
To the international community: You were wrong to sanction the apartheid government because ironically, the blacks are suffering now more than ever before due to ANC corruption and incomptenece.
To white south africans: there will come a time when we our backs will be against the wall and we have nowhere to go. Prepare for that day because we will be forced to fight for what is ours (south africa).
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If you were not born and bred in Africa, particularly Southern Africa, during the Apartheid years, it's easy to say what Andrew has said. For those of us who were there in that region at that time, he is a saint. Because if he wasn't, there would have been something of a dramatic reversal of fortune for the whites.
Lest we forget, to this day there are still a few in the ANC who delight at chanting such tasteless words as "death to the white farmer". Only a saint could come out of a 27 year prison term, having suffered all manner of humiliation at the hands of white oppressors, and still manage to resist the temptation of joining in on that chorus.
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Thanks for your comments on this. The scepticism in my opening question was aimed exclusively at the Mandela "industry" not at the man himself. I'm surprised some of you took it as a cheap shot at Madiba. Having said that, the whole point of the new book and opened archive, is that he doesn't want to be considered above criticism...
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