EXTRACT
I saw a message on my Twitter timeline this week that said the reason "the public does not like Mandela" was because the ANC had named so many things after him. The message was being repeatedly affirmed, not contested.
I longed to ask which "public" this was and what basis was used to determine that Mandela was not liked.
It is difficult to argue with people who refuse to consider the complexity of South Africa's transition to democracy and believe that the liberation movement surrendered to the will of apartheid rulers in order to secure a quick fix.
The disparities in society, unacceptable failure of the democratic government to break the cycle of poverty, and botching of processes to ensure equitable redistribution of resources mean that Mandela and his generation have to take responsibility for the state of the country now - even though they could not have foreseen the future.