afrol News, 10 May - In his farewell speech to parliament, South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela repeated his criticism of the US and British-led occupation of Iraq, especially lashing out against the treatment of Iraqi prisoners. The former political prisoner addressed parliament on the tenth anniversary of his inauguration as President.
- We live in a world where there is enough reason for cynicism and despair, the 85-year-old said in his anniversary speech. "We watch as two of the leading democracies, two leading nations of the free world, get involved in a war that the United Nations did not sanction."
Ex-President Mandela had also been an outspoken opponent to the US-led invasion of Iraq as the superpower still was preparing the war. At that stage, he questioned the intelligence of US President George W Bush.
With the ongoing scandal of systematic prisoner abuse by the occupying powers in Iraq, Mr Mandela now redoubles his critique. "We look on with horror as reports surface of terrible abuses against the dignity of human beings held captive by invading forces in their own country," he said, receiving loud applause in the South African parliament.
- We see how powerful countries, all of them so-called democracies, manipulate multilateral bodies to the great disadvantage and suffering of the poorer developing nations, Mr Mandela said.
South Africa, on the other hand, now had "become an inspiration to many," said the ex-President. "We signal that good can be achieved among human beings who are prepared to trust, prepared in the goodness of people." He warned South African MPs that the country also in future needed to "refrain from chauvinistic breast-beating."
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the inauguration of Mr Mandela as South Africa's first-ever black President, the parliament met in a joint session. He announced that he now was to retire from politics and cutting back his public appearances, marking that this probably would be his last speech in parliament.
Mr Mandela was not only hailed by the South African parliament, but also by his predecessor, Frederik W de Klerk, South Africa's last apartheid President and the man who set Mr Mandela free after 27 years in prison. The two jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize for the peaceful transformation of South Africa.
Ex-President de Klerk celebrated Mr Mandela as the "man who towers out like a giant" in this transformation of South Africa and a man who had "shown to all of us what it means to really build reconciliation." On his own step to open up the transformation process, Mr de Klerk assured it had been "the right thing."
Mr Mandela, touched by the recognition, looked frail but in relatively good shape for a man of his age. He made no secret out of his declining physical capacity, joking about his age. The veteran was aided into parliament by his wife, Graça Machel, a former Mozambican First Lady.
Leaving parliament, Mr Mandela sought support in the right arm of Mr de Klerk, who guided him out of the event, yet again marking the true reconciliation process headed by the two men.
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