I have known quite a few South Africans. I have studied South African history as a matter of personal interest (Great Trek by Walker, Lord Packingham’s Boer War, Steve Biko’s Frank Talk essays, White Tribe of Africa by I-forget-who, among others). But no, I’ve not been to South Africa. No plans to.
“You’re viewing this from the outside. Did YOU or anyone you know ever had a long personal relationship with Mandela?”
I’m assuming that you did, then? I do remember his visit to NYC, and totally despised it. Sycophant media, traffic along Broadway disrupted. The usual.
David Harrison wrote THE WHITE TRIBE OF AFRICA, it's okay. I've also read Parkingham's, who does NOT use his title, BTW,on my book.
Since you obviously like books about the Boer War, the following are ones to read IF you can find them: 1) THE ANGLO-BOER WAR 1899-1902, by E. Pretorious 2)London To Ladysmith vi Pretoria, by Winston Churchill 3)Ian Hamilton's March, by Winston Churchill, 4)Churchill in Africa, by Brian Roberts 5)Churchill Wanted dead or Alive, by Celia Sandys 6)The Anglo-Boer war 1899-1902, by Charl Vorster PHD 7)Commando:A Journal of The Boer War, by Denys Reliz
The following are a mix... 1)Shaka's Children : A History of The Zulu People, by Stphon Talor 2)The Bushmen, by Alf Wonneburgh 3)South Africa: A Narrative History. by Frank Welsh 4)All 8 books by Herman Charles Bosman
I'll give you all of Bosman's book titles via FRmail, if you are interested; however, I don't think that these are available outside of RSA; sadly. And thus ends the list; though NOT complete, re the the books in my library.
Please don't assume anything,as you are probably wrong.
Some of my extended family lives in RSA and are descended from the original settlers.
No, thankfully I never met Mandela; however, yes, some there knew him quite well, in a business/personal, NOT GOVERNMENTAL capacity. So yes, besides having read about him, I have been told about him, by family.
ME? I NEVER liked him one bit ( even before the family told me what they knew ) and I never, for one second, thought that his becoming president would work.