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Madiba was not dragged to rally

The opportunistic and ill-informed ranting by the bourgeois media, in cahoots with some rotten elements at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, particularly its chairman Jakes Gerwel, that the ANC had hijacked Nelson Mandela to the Mthatha rally, are unfortunate and regrettable.

There are people at the foundation abusing their positions to create a false impression that Mandela has "retired" from active politics, while behind the scenes they want to use him and his name for factional and political interests. They should be aware that the ANC and South Africans made Mandela, not the people in London or Houghton. The ANC under Thabo Mbeki, insulted and accused Mandela of wanting to lead from the grave. He was further lambasted for his stance on HIV-Aids by the Mbeki regime. There was no protest from the liberal media including Gerwel in the context of Mbeki - a paragon of intellectual correctness - and sidelining from political discussions and programmes of the ANC including Mandela.

It is opportunistic to attack the ANC under Jacob Zuma when it recognises Mandela's contribution and role by according him an opportunity to address a rally of his beloved organisation.

Castro Ntobeko Ngobese, Young Communist League, Braamfontein

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