Nelson Mandela and the politics of South Africa's unfinished liberation

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Periodical article

Title:	Nelson Mandela and the politics of South Africa's unfinished liberation
Author:	Beresford, Alexander
Year:	2014
Periodical:	Review of African Political Economy (ISSN 0305-6244)
Volume:	41
Issue:	140
Pages:	297-305
Language:	English
Geographic term:	South Africa
Subjects:	heads of State politicians anti-apartheid resistance in memoriams images
About person:	Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-2013)
External link:	https://doi.org/10.1080/03056244.2014.883114
Abstract:	One dominant narrative that emerged in the tributes to Mandela after his death in December 2013 was his famed capacity to moderate between competing social forces during South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy. This notion of Mandela being 'non-ideological' or being able to 'transcend' ideological differences in order to find common ground, agreement and reconciliation has been frequently referred to in obituaries, but how true a reflection of Mandela is it? The author argues that the construction of Mandela as a sanctified 'moderate' served the interests of the ANC as a party and also the interests of Western politicians and the international business community, who stood to profit both materially and ideologically by claiming ownership of a carefully sanitized Mandela image. The author concludes that these power-laden discourses present an extremely selective representation of Nelson Mandela, his ideals, life and political practice. Bibliogr., ref. in English and French. [ASC Leiden abstract]