Had to See It - Two of My Favorite Actors

I had already seen The Wilby Conspiracy and enjoyed it but only came across this movie last week so I ordered it. I lived for two years in Pretoria (hence my handle) and I was very happy there. It was five years after apartheid had ended. I met many, many white people that were happy it had been ended also. I noticed in some of the documentary footage in this movie that there were also white people on the front lines and they were being clubbed too!

The movie soft pedaled Winnie's behavior (approving "necklacing" those she thought were informers and for stealing ANC funds, for which she was found guilty). It must have been true because Mandela divorced her. The guy that played Botha did not do the "Ackh!" right. I was always amused by that Afrikaner expression and by the "Ples-shur!" when I thanked someone in a store for assistance.

I love South Africa and was sorry to see, after Mandela's departure, that many of the public offices were given to men that may have spent many hard years fighting apartheid, but did not know how to do their public office jobs. To me, it doesn't matter what color you are, you still have to know how to do your job! It harms everyone in the country, black or white, when public works are not performed well. I thought Mbeki was a disaster as President.

If you read about Mandela's life, he was no saint. he cheated on at least one of his wives, he did approve of some terrorist activities in his own country, and he could be as petty as any of us.

However, the fact that he was able to bring apartheid to an end with as little violence as there was, overshadows any missteps in his life. I was pleased to see that he found romantic love at the end of his life. You only had to look at their faces when they held hands to know that.

Do not forget that on the other side of the table, de Klerk was risking his life with the changes in South Africa he made as President. There were many white supremacists who wanted to kill him for his actions. He was a very brave man to do what he knew had to be done. He should get equal credit with Mandela for the negotiations that ended apartheid.








This positively infantile preoccupation with bosoms!Terry-Thomas about US 1963.Hasnt changed much!