WAS NELSON MANDELA A SAINT AFTER ALL?

Undoubtedly, a lot has been written on the passing away of Nelson Mandela, the former President of the Republic of South Africa. The freedom fighter who spent twenty seven years in jail, was voted the country`s first ever Black President but quickly handed power to someone else, has been hailed by so many and with so many superlatives that one can only conclude that the man is the world`s most popular personality after Jesus Christ. Mandela is admired the world over for a number of achievements, many of them having to do with his stewardship as a human rights activist, a trade union leader, a politician and a humanitarian. There is no doubt that he changed the face of South Africa for ever, even if the Blacks of the country have not yet seen their status rise considerably in society or have not yet started to savour the fallouts of the decades-long struggle for freedom. On all of those points, though, Mandela scores top marks. That is indisputable. But there is one point on which Mandela has failed, in my opinion. I believe strongly that any assessment of Mandela that sweeps this aspect of his life under the carpet is intentionally biased. Mandela will remain the world leader who got married to his wife “for better or for worse”, but turned round, went into a divorce and got married to another woman who by the way, was his friend`s wife. Mandela and the husband of his so-called wife Graca Machel were freedom fighters, each in his own country. In fact, before Mandela got married to Winnie, he had been married to another woman, Evelyn Wase with whom he got divorced after she accused him of committing adultery. So the record for his three wives stands as follows: Evelyn Wase(1944-1958), WinnieMandela (1958-1996) and Graca Machel (1998-2013). The summary is that although Mandela weathered the rising storm of the evil apartheid regime including a long term in prison, when it came to his family life, he chickened out. He became a coward. He could not face the music. So right now, unfortunately for Graca Machel, she is a two-time widow. Whose name will she carry? Graca Machel? Graca Mandela? Graca Machel Mandela?