The great Nelson Mandela was not a hero only to the people of his native South Africa. This unflinching freedom fighter became a worldwide symbol of racial equality and a statesman who set a shining example of how to achieve peaceful national reconciliation, even after decades of brutal oppression, injustice and conflict.
In addition, Mr Mandela has a special significance for many of the people of this country, not only because he visited it in 2004, nor because so large a percentage of the population is of African descent; but also because of T&T's own history of ethnic inequality, followed by a growing recognition of the need to achieve a peaceful, equitable multiculturalism.So it is only right and fitting that as part of the programme of activities to commemorate this world icon, who died last December, he should be permanently memorialised in this country.
This may have been the thinking behind the decision of the Port-of-Spain City Corporation to rename King George V Park after Mr Mandela.But the news that the park was about to be renamed came as a surprise to everyone, even the citizens of Port-of-Spain who supposed they would have been consulted before such a move was made.While the name of the park dated back to colonial times, and there were certainly many, many dark moments in the colonial era, that is less true of the relatively recent times of King George V.
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