David Keene, opinion editor
The Washington Times
December 6, 2013
...On his release, Mandela emerged as the one man who could bridge the racial gap in his country, sit down with the despised leaders of the white regime they sought to topple and come up with a deal that would turn the reins of power over to South Africa's black majority while protecting many of the rights of the white minority and create the continents first real attempt at a successful multi-racial society. He made that deal and sold it to his people. To make the deal, he sat down with then-President F.W. de Klerk even before his release from prison and convinced him that the two of them had to work together to save the country they both loved. As a result, the civil war that might have been was avoided and while the tribal and racial tensions that have torn apart other African nations may lurk under the surface in South Africa, thanks to Nelson Mandela that's where they remain...
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