Why is Mandella the liberator?

[Loosehead]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6967927.stm

The real liberator was DeClerk who had the courage to realise the system for SA was wrong and to allow change even though it meant his own deposition. He let Mandella out of jail and legalised the ANC and allowed and election he knew would be won by Mandella. Don't get me wrong Mandella has done well for his people but he would not have had the chance without DeClerk.

[jno]

it's not an either/or situation, I.Don No. You can have statues of Mandela and statues of Great Britons and statues of St Volodymyr all at the same time. London is the richer for them. It could perhaps do with an Angel of the South statue too, maybe perched on the Gherkin.

[I.Don No]

jno......I question the validity of any statue erected in this country that does not celebrate someone british or who helped the british

[I.Don No]

kwicky...sooner than you think, but it probably will be in London

[Doc Spock]

Ist post from Jackthehat, spot on man.

Sorry for previous rants. Its my age.

[Dassie]

As they say it takes two to tango! De Klerk could have easily held on to power if he had wanted to, but realised it was time to change,however the ANC was supported by USSR and Cuba ( because they wanted the gold and diamonds ? )and hence the wars that South Africa fought across its borders to avoid a communist state. Mandela came to realise the problem affecting the "whites" and through JOINT talks a new Constitution was formulated between him and De Klerk. The key issue here is that when the ANC came to power it was written that they could not change this new Constitution unless they received 75% representation. To this day this has not been achieved. A statue of Mandela and De Klerk shaking hands would have been more appropriate.