Is Nelson Mandela a Sellout???

Mandela was known by many to be a freedom fighter ,anti apartheid hero and a global icon.

A debate emerged in South Africa just after two years of his death .This debate questioned his towering legacy .The question was Mandela a sellout.

This may seem like a very taboo sentiment to some. Here in South Africa it speaks to the feeling that blacks got a raw deal in the negotiation that ended apartheid.

We all know that black people only achieved political freedom and that much of our country’s wealth remained in the hands of white people. At that time it was seen as necessary compromise to protect the country’s economy. This was because black people were thought to be unfit to control such an important aspect.

It’s been more than 20 years later but still we see economic apartheid continuing .It’s no secret that South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world.

“The Nelson Mandela we know that we celebrate now is nothing but a stage-managed Mandela who compromised the principles of the revolution which are stated in the freedom Charter”said Julius Malema an outspoken former youth league leader of the African National Congress which is Mandela’s party.

What is even more shocking is that even his ex-wife Winnie Madikizela Mandela said that “Mandela let us down “. She believes that economically we are still oppressed because the economy is very much ‘white’. It has a few token of blacks but many who gave their life in the struggle have died unrewarded.

Ralph Mathekga said that in South Africa there is a tendency to blame individuals rather than understanding the complexities of a situation .There question was who were we supposed to blame because we looked up to him as a leader to make sure we get a good deal.

If a woman who slept besides him and who is the mother of his children says that he let us down .Then who are we to dispute that because not many of us knew him on a personal level.

This is a man in which we put our hopes and trust in .All that he was supposed to do as leader was to ensure that the values of the freedom Charter were implemented .That’s if the Freedom Charter really mattered to him.

His hunger for power resulted in him supporting the suggestion of having his wife subpoenaed to testify at the Truth and Reconciliation Committee .This happened just after his wife’s nomination for the position of being a deputy president of the ANC

This man forgave the apartheid government but could not forgive his own wife.