TOP: P. W. Botha, left, and Nelson Mandela, then South Africa’s president, discussing Truth Commission hearings in 1997. Mr. Botha refused to testify before the panel. BOTTOM: Mr.Botha outside court during his trial in 1998 for refusing to appear at Truth Commission hearings. He was found guilty of contempt but the conviction was overturned.

'Nelson Mandela led South Africans on Wednesday in remembering former President P.W. Botha, the defiant face of apartheid who doggedly clung to white rule and refused to free Mandela from jail

[...]Mandela spent 27 years behind bars, including about a decade under the rule of Botha, who was at the helm during South Africa's most tumultuous years and struggled in vain to preserve apartheid white rule.

[...] Mandela's statement reflected the core policy of reconciliation that underpinned his own presidency. read more here or read more here (NYtimes)

*the politics of reconciliation: i have a problem with this 'policy of reconciliation.' i suggest everyone get on neville alexander's 'an ordinary country: issues in the transition from apartheid to democracy in south africa' specifically the chapter 6: 'the politics of reconciliation.' he comments on how in 1999 mbhazima shilowa (premier of the guateng province) that ALL south africans should celebrate the centenary outbreak of the anglo-boer war--a glaring example of one of the most 'blantantly colonial-imperialist' wars on the african continent 'fought, among other things, over the right to dispossess, oppress and exploit the black people of south africa.' (112) seriously, celebrate your enslavement? but as ernest renan said 'for a people to become a nation, they have to forget many things.' historic compromise? i wont even start on the TRC.

mandela has been at the center of attention for quite some time as a great leader and example of progressive nation building tactics. but when he goes on to lead the tribute to botha, i began to get worrried. there is forgiveness of folks who do wrong and apologize and then there is leading a tribute to a man who clung onto white-control, never apologized and never acknowledged his wrong. even with forgiveness, the forgiveness of a man should never be conflated with the forgiveness of apartheid. there is forgiveness, then there is praising your colonizers, slave owner and the man who put his foot in your neck.

shall i tell palestinians to give a high five to the IDF and the israeli government? should we go back in time and get slaves to lead a ceremony for slave owners and leaders of the confederate army? i mean damn.

botha died without ever apologizing or ever acknowledging his wrong. apparently, his wife barbara believes that her husband had been "terribly misunderstood" and that south africans would come to realize what they had lost. she says and i quote, "the man cared about everyone, irrespective of what politics said. he really cared. he wanted everyone to have a piece of the pie." if apartheid was a manifestation of this 'care,' i'd hate to see what he would do if he didn't 'care' about black south africans.

*suppressed interview: in even more interesting news, back in january of this year, SABC, e-tv and M-Net have declined to air Cliff saunders' interview with former state president PW botha. there have been accusations of censorship, however spokespersons have argued that '[the interview] does not meet our criteria for broadcast and the interview is not at this stage suitable for our audience.' the interview recorded before the 'end of apartheid' apparently, has crude references to black folks. maybe there are editing issues, but let's not pretend white south africans still do not think like botha did/does(?). either way its ridiculous. you can catch a preview here. WITS is being shady about bandwidth allowances so i can't actually see the preview, so let me know what you think. i wonder if they will show the interview now that he is dead...or will it continue to be suppressed to 'protect' his image.