COMMENT | An insult and affront to the man who fought apartheid

COMMENT | In 1964, Nelson Mandela, who had already served a five-year term for illegally leaving the country, was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of sabotage.

He spent the next 18 years at Robben Island prison in a damp cell measuring eight by seven feet, sleeping on a straw mat and breaking rocks into gravel during the day.

During his time there, Mandela suffered various health problems including contracting tuberculosis, and he was eventually transferred to the relative comfort of Victor Verster Prison in 1988, before being freed two years later. He died in 2013 after suffering from a prolonged respiratory infection at age 95.

A week ago, there was a furore in both England and South Africa when a 6,409-word article called “Meghan of Montecito” was published on Aug 29.

In that article...