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The folly of painting Nelson Mandela as either saint or sellout

Former South Africa President Nelson Mandela (AP Photo, Denis Farrell)

There are two widely available views of Nelson Mandela, the first post-apartheid president of South Africa.

The first is a reverential and uncritical celebration of his life and achievements. It resonated in the obituaries and eulogies when Mandela died in December 2013.

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