"to pay last respects to probably the last real leader & hero of our times"
Well, I am not sure about it - the other day, I read the review which tried to prove that N. Mandela is a "Gandhi of our time". Funny - I don't remember Gandhi being a terrorist, throwing bombs and killing people...
This is an excerpt from his jail sentence:
"The documents revealed ample evidence that Mandela was the chief conspirator. The accused faced charges of sabotage, including deeds of sabotage, committing of illegal deeds, canvassing persons for training in warfare, manufacture and use of explosives with the aim to commit violence and cause destruction (altogether 153 acts of violence were listed) and conspiracy to engage in guerrilla-warfare with the aid of foreign armies. Plans included the manufacture of 48 000 land mines and large quantities of hand grenades, pipe, petrol and bottle bombs"