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Mugabe has a right to speak about Mandela, but......
16 Sep 2017 at 13:19hrs | Views
The Nelson Mandela Foundation has hit back at Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, saying that he should base his comments on facts when interrogating the South African icon's legacy, reports say.
Mugabe has a right to speak about the late South African statesman, Nelson Mandela, but must ensure his views are based on facts and do not ring hollow, the Nelson Mandela Foundation has said.
According to Eye Witness News, the foundation said that Mugabe's critique of South Africa's negotiated settlement was "hollow".
In a hard-hitting response to Mugabe's recent attack on Mandela, the foundation's CEO Sello Hatang, said Mugabe's criticism last month of South Africa's negotiated settlement was "hollow".
Mugabe has drawn the ire of South Africans and that country's ruling party, ANC, after he attacked Mandela's legacy.
More than twice, Mugabe claimed that Mandela cherished his personal freedom over the economic freedom of the majority black South Africans. Mugabe added that is why in South Africa; "everything is in white's hands".
"What was the most important thing for Mandela was his release from prison and nothing else. He cherished that freedom more than anything else and forgot why he was put in jail," Mugabe said adding that Mandela had many concessions towards the white minority.
Mugabe made headlines recently when he attacked Mandela's legacy, saying that the South African icon cherished his personal freedom over the economic freedom of his people, which was the reason why today in South Africa "everything is in the whites' hands".
The 93-year-old president said this while speaking in Shona at a ruling party rally in the central town of Gweru.
"What was the most important thing for (Mandela) was his release from prison and nothing else. He cherished that freedom more than anything else and forgot why he was put in jail," Mugabe was quoted as saying.
However, in response, the Nelson Mandela Foundation said if anyone including Mugabe wanted to interrogate Mandela's legacy, they should accurately examine facts.
An eNCA report quoted the Nelson Mandela Foundation as saying: "The foundation encourages President Mugabe and anyone who wants to interrogate Madiba's legacy and question his contribution to the birth of the new South Africa to do so, but to accurately examine relevant evidence and facts. The foundation remains an institution anyone can visit to interact and engage on the life and times of Nelson Mandela," Hatang said.
He added, "We need to understand the complexity of negotiation and to say to young people who are observing this that it's important that we go back to the values that we all hold dear, one of them is just respect."
Hatang said Mugabe's criticism was a rehash of an old narrative that ignores historic evidence.
"The foundation remains an institution anyone can visit to interact and engage on the life and times of Nelson Mandela."
The foundation also said that the collective leadership of the ANC was behind all decisions made during the negotiation period.
Mugabe has a right to speak about the late South African statesman, Nelson Mandela, but must ensure his views are based on facts and do not ring hollow, the Nelson Mandela Foundation has said.
According to Eye Witness News, the foundation said that Mugabe's critique of South Africa's negotiated settlement was "hollow".
In a hard-hitting response to Mugabe's recent attack on Mandela, the foundation's CEO Sello Hatang, said Mugabe's criticism last month of South Africa's negotiated settlement was "hollow".
Mugabe has drawn the ire of South Africans and that country's ruling party, ANC, after he attacked Mandela's legacy.
More than twice, Mugabe claimed that Mandela cherished his personal freedom over the economic freedom of the majority black South Africans. Mugabe added that is why in South Africa; "everything is in white's hands".
"What was the most important thing for Mandela was his release from prison and nothing else. He cherished that freedom more than anything else and forgot why he was put in jail," Mugabe said adding that Mandela had many concessions towards the white minority.
Mugabe made headlines recently when he attacked Mandela's legacy, saying that the South African icon cherished his personal freedom over the economic freedom of his people, which was the reason why today in South Africa "everything is in the whites' hands".
"What was the most important thing for (Mandela) was his release from prison and nothing else. He cherished that freedom more than anything else and forgot why he was put in jail," Mugabe was quoted as saying.
However, in response, the Nelson Mandela Foundation said if anyone including Mugabe wanted to interrogate Mandela's legacy, they should accurately examine facts.
An eNCA report quoted the Nelson Mandela Foundation as saying: "The foundation encourages President Mugabe and anyone who wants to interrogate Madiba's legacy and question his contribution to the birth of the new South Africa to do so, but to accurately examine relevant evidence and facts. The foundation remains an institution anyone can visit to interact and engage on the life and times of Nelson Mandela," Hatang said.
He added, "We need to understand the complexity of negotiation and to say to young people who are observing this that it's important that we go back to the values that we all hold dear, one of them is just respect."
Hatang said Mugabe's criticism was a rehash of an old narrative that ignores historic evidence.
"The foundation remains an institution anyone can visit to interact and engage on the life and times of Nelson Mandela."
The foundation also said that the collective leadership of the ANC was behind all decisions made during the negotiation period.
Source - news24
