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Old 12th February 2008, 06:54
ches ches is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 883
Hi Thomas and welcome to the site. I've never heard of Mahree Bok before, but have read that the character from the made-for-TV movie you saw was partly fictional.

I had never heard of Ron Dellums before and can assure you that he had absolutely nothing to do with the transition to democracy in South Africa. In fact, the US was the last country to authorize sanctions against the apartheid regime and actively helped the apartheid regime in their extra-border activities, notably in Angola against the Cuban-backed MPLA fighters who now form the basis of a democratic government in Angola.

The transition to democracy started in the late 80s and had more to do with the fall of the Soviet Union and with it the lack of credibility of the apartheid government's claims that they were saving South Africa from communism (they defined "communism" as anything against apartheid). The leadership of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, OR Tambo, and trade union leader Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as the negotiating acumen of the latter, kept the violence in the country down to prevent civil war and allowed us to have peaceful and free elections and a legitimate democracy afterwards.

Unfortunately those selfless leaders have retired from active politics (though Mr. Ramaphosa is still in his prime but has left for the business arena to great success) and the new leaders are not as astute. Thabo Mbeki has done great things for the economy in his tenure as president, but has not done well with the grass roots establishment, so they have now voted liar and cheat Jacob Zuma to head the ANC. There is a corruption trial against him (the other half of the corrupt relationship is already behind bars) which may prevent him from becoming the next president in 2009 - at least many of us hope so, and conspiracy theorists are having a field day.
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