Perspectives

This part of the study guide is designed to expand your perspective on Nelson Mandela’s inaugural speech by looking at historical and current issues and comparable speeche…

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Historical perspective and current issues

After Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa and delivered his inaugural speech, his presidency was marked by criticism from anti-capitalists from his own party (ANC) because he frequently entertained celebrities. However, he also focused heavily on national reconciliation and policies to smooth South Africa’s transition to democracy. These policies included increasing welfare s…

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Other speeches

When you analyse Mandela’s speech, you can consider comparing it to other inaugural speeches or speeches on race.

For example, you could compare Mandela’s speech as the first black President of South Africa with Barack Obama’s inaugural address from 2009 as the first African-American President of the US. Both speeches m…