Nelson Mandela is revered around the world for averting civil war in South Africa. But ahead of May elections, young South Africans are questioning his legacy.
JOHANNESBURG — At a time when the world seems sorely lacking in global statesmen — larger than life figures who manage to shape world events, transcend national borders and become universally admired — I always hark back to Nelson Mandela.
Three miles and half a world away, in the teeming township of Alexandra, known as “Alex,” there’s little running water or, and unemployed young men idle their days over bottles of warm beer. Here, views of South Africa’s first Black president are more mixed. Most South Africans were born after Mandela left office, and these “Born Frees” — the post-apartheid generation — have no living memory of the horrid system of racial segregation or the liberation movement that toppled it.
“The only thing that changed is freedom,” the older woman said. “Before, when they battled, they had hope. Now we are fighting a losing battle.” “We have political freedom,” said Michael Ngobeni, who runs a small tavern and restaurant in Alex. “But we don’t have economic freedom. The White people are still here. They are the ones who have power, who have economic power.”, who was expelled from the ruling party. Malema has long been openly critical of Mandela, whom he accuses of making too many compromises and associating with “those White men who owned the South African economy at the time.
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