“For many years now, South Africans have got along with one another largely peacefully without Mr Mandela having been active in the political sphere,’ said Lerato Moloi, head of research at the institute.
“In fact, Mandela’s passing may be cause for many to reflect on the remarkably peaceful and swift racial integration of many parts of society, including schools, suburbs, universities, and workplaces.
Although some of this had started to occur before 1994, as a symbol of racial reconciliation and forgiveness Mr Mandela will be viewed by many as having played a pivotal role in creating such a society.”
The 2013 edition of the flagship publication released by the institute, The South Africa Survey, has been named the Mandela Commemorative Edition in honour of Nelson Mandela who, in his celebrated ‘I am prepared to die speech’, is quoted from the 1963 edition of the survey.
