Nelson Mandela: two sides to every story

There are always two sides to a story, no matter how un-PC it might be to say so.

Today a statue is being unveiled to Nelson Mandela in Parliament Square. It will stand alongside statues of Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Disraeli and Winston Churchill. Since his release from prison, Mandela has been hailed as a beacon of Christian forgiveness who prevented South Africa from sliding into the anarchy that has affected the rest of the African continent (exemplified by Zimbabwe).

His leadership stands in stark contrast to the racist and blundering presidency of Thabo Mbeki - a man who (in the words of a South African blogger) has "moved from the politics of the rainbow nation and reconciliation to the politics of race-labeling and race-baiting".

In recognising what Mandela has sought to achieve since his release from prison, one must not forget that he raised funds for the ANC's armed wing, arranged paramilitary training and led an armed struggle against apartheid. He was no Gandhi.

It should also be remembered that since his release he has, in the eyes of some, given aid and succour to the Libyan bombers behind the Lockerbie terrorist outrage.

It is important to remember the atrocities committed by the ANC during their Marxist-inspired guerilla war and the continued discrimination in South Africa now by the blacks against the whites.

And maybe when visiting Mandela's statue, you might want to reflect on those killed by the ANC - including by the barbaric method of the "necklace" - whereby a rubber tire, filled with petrol, was forced around a victim's chest and arms, and then set on fire.

Instead of laying a garland at the feet of Mr Mandela's statue or about his neck, maybe someone should be placing a rubber tire there instead?

UPDATE: For some reason this video is never discussed when the media fawns over Mandela...