Demolishing myths about Mandela
BRYANSTON - The Free Market Foundation hosted a presentation about Nelson Mandela in Bryanston.
Digby Ricci, one of South Africa’s renowned film critics and a columnist for NewsTime led audiences in a discussion on the truths and myths about Mandela. He said, “It is important to separate message from messenger. My aim is to demolish the myths about Mandela.”
One of the myths he highlighted about Mandela was that his revolution was bloodless. He spoke about the Shell House massacre in the nineties which resulted in the death of more Inkatha Freedom Party members than ANC members. Ricci said Mandela could have used his moral authority at that time to avoid the bloodshed.
“He was an impressive, but a deeply flawed human being,” added Ricci. He went on to speak about the Mandela film, Long Walk to Freedom and examined the movie on the basis of hagiographical analysis of Mandela as the ANC’s political leader. Ricci also spoke about the self-destructive tendency of human beings to worship, rather than to assess political leaders. “The heritage Mandela left behind in the ANC is not truly his,” added Ricci. “He left behind a party that now hates opposition. What they are now doing is not truly Mandela’s heritage.”
