FOREWORD
M E S S AG E F RO M T H E P U B L I S H E R
I
am always thankful that in the new democratic South Africa, Nelson Mandela set the precedent by becoming the first President; we could have done a lot worse. He created a high standard by constantly raising the bar – in show business it’s known as “a hard act to follow”. Nelson Mandela fought injustice and oppression most of
his life, he was jailed for his beliefs for 27 years by a legal system that within itself was illegal. In putting this book together we also fought our own battle with forces with more resources than our own, and in our own small way we realised what it was like to take on an adversary which has no respect for honest normal values. Like Mr Mandela we stuck it out and the proof of this is the book you are reading. It reached a stage where we felt the freedom of the media was under threat – maybe that story is a whole new book in itself. So on a more positive note I want to thank Nelson Mandela for the inspiration he gave me and my staff, and to you as a reader I hope you enjoy this wonderful book and the sincere tributes that have been written about this great man. He left a legacy which we should not allow to be diminished or sacrificed. We as the media and general public also are the true guardians of his great contribution to South Africa’s history.
Richard Fletcher Publisher
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