Reassessing Mandela

Seven years since his death (2013) Nelson Mandela still occupies an extraordinary place in the global imagination. Internationally Mandelaâs renown seems intact and invulnerable. In South Africa however his legacy and his place in the countryâs history have become matters of contention and dispute especially amongst younger black South Africans. The essays in this book analyse aspects of Mandelaâs life in the context of South Africaâs national history and make an important contribution to the historiography of the anti-apartheid political struggle. They reassess: the political context of Mandelaâs youth; his changing political beliefs and connections with the Left; his role in the African National Congress and the turn to armed struggle; his marriage to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and their political relationship. By providing new context they explore Mandela as an actor in broader social processes such as the rise of the ANC and the making of South Africaâs post-apartheid constitution. The detailed essays are linked in a substantial introduction by Colin Bundy and current debates are addressed in a concluding essay by Elleke Boehmer. This book provides a scholarly counterweight both to uncritical celebration of Mandela and also to a simplistic attribution of post-apartheid shortcomings to the person of Mandela. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Southern African Studies. . Language: English