He saw sport as critical to reconciliation
He saw media as a frontier of transformation
A democratic constitution was established
A comprehensive bill of rights was also established
The TRC was established
A battery of progressive legislation was also introduced under the auspices of the Reconstruction and Development Programme which aimed to address poverty, restore the dignity of citizens and allow for the creation of a unified national identity through a focus on meeting basic needs, building the economy and democratizing the state
Tuesday 14 June 2011 15:38
He emphasized that the press needed to be the mirror through which society could see itself
He supported free press especially at a time when it was being threatened all over Africa. He said: “A critical independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of democracy” (Mandela, Authorized Biography)
He emphasized that the press needed to be the mirror through which society could see itself
He often said disputes must be settled with brains, not blood
He set direction for and priorities of South African diplomacy. He said: “South Africa’s future foreign relations will be based on our belief that human rights should be the core of international relations, and we are ready to play a role in fostering peace and prosperity in the world (source: Foreign Affairs, an American journal)
He saw himself with a moral mission to spread peace and tolerance around the world
He gave confidence to black South Africans as a people who had been conditioned into submission by the apartheid regime
He was totally committed to democracy
He wanted to use parliament to consolidate a non-racial democracy and was concerned that the government of national unity didn’t go down to the grassroots
His most important task was to approve a new constitution
He always considered that he had to balance things out (pacifying the white elite without alienating black masses)
As Head of State he saw a clear priority: to consolidate a new nation to hold it together and to transform it into a multi-racial democracy.
