Mandela never wanted to become South African President, says book
By ANITuesday, October 12, 2010
JOHANNESBURG - Nelson Mandela never wanted to become the South African President, his new book entitled ‘Conversations with Myself’ has revealed.
Mandela states in the book that he only accepted the post after senior leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) put pressure on him.
“My installation as the first democratically elected president of the Republic of South Africa was imposed on me much against my own advice,” the Scotsman quoted Mandela, as saying.
The 92-year-old further said that he would have preferred to serve South Africa without holding any position in the ANC or government.
After being pressurized to accept the leadership, Mandela had made it clear that he would serve only one five-year term.
Mandela served as South African President from 1994 to 1999, and was the first President in the country to be elected in a fully representative democratic election.
The book, compiled by the Nelson Mandela Foundation from personal letters, interviews and an unpublished sequel to his autobiography ‘Long Walk To Freedom’, contains a foreword by U.S. President Barack Obama. (ANI)
