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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2013 1:54:39 GMT
The death of Nelson Mandela is "extremely sad and tragic", Prince William has said. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were watching a film about the ex-South African president when the news broke. Speaking after the premiere, he said: "We were just reminded of what an extraordinary and inspiring man Nelson Mandela was and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family right now." Prime Minister David Cameron said Mr Mandela was a "hero of our time". The flag above Downing Street is flying at half-mast as a mark of respect. Prince William and Kate were watching the UK and European premiere of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom at the Odeon Leicester Square in London as part of the Royal Film Performance.
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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2013 7:36:42 GMT
The Queen has said she is "deeply saddened" to learn of Nelson Mandela's death and has sent her "sincere condolences to his family and to the people of South Africa". A statement from Buckingham Palace said: "Her Majesty remembers with great warmth her meetings with Mr Mandela". "He worked tirelessly for the good of his country, and his legacy is the peaceful South Africa we see today". Mr Mandela made his first state visit to the UK in 1996. Thousands flocked to to see Mr Mandela on his first state visit to the UK in 1996 The Prince of Wales said Mr Mandela was the "embodiment of courage and reconciliation". Paying tribute to the former South African president, Prince Charles added: "He was also a man of great humour and had a real zest for life. "With his passing, there will be an immense void not only in his family's lives, but also in those of all South Africans and the many others whose lives have been changed through his fight for peace, justice and freedom." The Queen remembers "with great warmth" her meetings with Mr Mandela
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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2013 21:16:49 GMT
Here's how The Queen reacted upon finding out that Nelson Mandela had died, aged 95. The Queen has spoken of the moment she heard Nelson Mandela had died. Speaking during a visit to Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament, the Queen said: "It was extraordinary as William and Catherine were at the film last night - the film about his life". Kate Middleton and Prince William took a night off parenting duties for the premiere "I heard it at 10 o'clock ... [people at the film premiere] were clapping like mad and somebody came on and said 'we've just heard he's died'", she continued. "It's amazing isn't it? During the first night of the film".
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Post by Admin on Dec 8, 2013 23:28:24 GMT
Gay McDougall, Bill Keller, Dr. Jendayi Frazer, and Stan Greenberg reflect on their unique relationships with Nelson Mandela. His primary legacy is a multiracial South Africa under the rule of law. Mandela's governance was characterized by racial reconciliation, especially with white Afrikaners, which he shrewdly promoted through the use of symbols. Like President Obama, Mandela sought "teachable moments." For example, he publicly supported the predominately white national rugby team. He took tea with Betsie Verwoerd, the widow of Hendrick Verwoerd, the chief architect of apartheid. He avoided African National Congress (ANC) and black African triumphalism; there was no wholesale change in Afrikaner place names during his presidency. He insisted on the rule of law. Apartheid may have been a crime against humanity, but there was no extra-legal "revolutionary justice." Instead there was a Truth and Reconciliation Commission under the presidency of Archbishop Desmond Tutu that offered amnesty in return for confession to liberation fighters and members of the apartheid security services. Mandela assiduously observed the new constitution that enshrined the strongest protection of individual and minority rights anywhere in the world. Alone among African states, South Africa permits gay marriage, though much of the population remains homophobic. Racism continues to be a reality. Among whites it continues, especially in rural areas. This racism usually takes the form of racist verbal slurs and treatment of domestic employees, who are predominantly black Critics of Mandela' s successors, Thabo Mbeki and Zuma, accuse them of exploiting for their own narrow political interests a crude form of black racism against whites. Zuma performs in public the song, "Bring me my Machine Gun" as part of an Afro-populism far from the spirit of Mandela. Yet there has been progress. A black middle class mostly based in the public sector has emerged, as have a few high-profile black millionaires. Perhaps more significant is a black presence at formerly segregated institutions and public accommodations. Such public integration enhances black self-esteem and helps shape how South Africans see each other. It represents an important part of the Mandela and ANC legacy. The core of Mandela's legacy -- non-racial democracy based on the rule of law -- endures. At the time of Mandela's inauguration, whites by and large did not see apartheid as evil. Hence, it is significant that by 2012, polling data from the Reconciliation Barometer shows that 83.8 percent of South Africans (including all races) now see apartheid as a crime against humanity. A substantial majority of white South Africans share this view.
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Post by Admin on Dec 9, 2013 22:34:22 GMT
Newt Gingrich fires back at conservative critics who have attacked him for a statement he made about Nelson Mandela. Newt Gingrich is fighting back against conservative critics who attacked the former Speaker of the House and co-host of CNN's "Crossfire" for his praise of Nelson Mandela. After Mandela passed away Thursday, Gingrich posted a statement, praising him as "one of the greatest leaders of our lifetime." Gingrich said Monday that people were confusing Mandela's role with the African National Congress and that most of the violence by the ANC happened while Mandela was in prison. On the other side of the political spectrum, he said on CNN's "New Day" that some liberals were going "overboard in trying to excuse this as an attempt to attack (Ronald) Reagan." Gingrich noted that Reagan was the one who appointed the first black ambassador to South Africa. He added that Mandela was "deeply committed to a nonviolent approach, until you had a South African dictatorship...which made it impossible to have anything that was purely nonviolent." Gingrich has a long history as a Mandela supporter. During the Reagan administration, he was among the many Republicans in Congress who pressured the president to impose sanctions on the apartheid regime. "Frankly, without being partisan, I hope the President brings some of the spirit back with him," Gingrich said on "New Day." "Maybe he and the Congress can sit down more in the spirit of Mandela and actually listen to each other for a while."
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