Nelson Mandela is respected and admired across the world. And to South Africans he is a superstar. He is a hero who shocked the world by fighting for peace between races, despite the 27 years he spent in the prison of the South Africa’s white, racist regime(政权) Mandela, who won the nation’s first all-race elections after the fall of apartheid(种族隔离) in 1944,retired in 1999. But he remains as popular as ever. “He’s loved by all people, whether you’re white or black, whether you’re young or old,” said Ali Bacher, South Africa’s former cricket(板球) chief. His popularity has inspired an entire national industry. His portrait has appeared at many places, including on some goods. His face has appeared on a South African coin, a metropolitan(首都)area was named in his honor and some business leaders hope to build a massive, rotating statue in his likeness---- the Statue of Freedom. It would stand taller than New York’s Statue of Liberty. His popular appeal is similar to that of John F. Kennedy wth US or Winston Churchill in Britain, but few politicians in his times have achieved his level of admiration, said Tom Lodge, head of the political science department of the University of the Witwatersrand.“ Sometimes it isn’t completely appreciated what a skilled performer Mandela has been throughout his political career. He is a very ,very clever man,”However , he is far from perfect. Most articles for his birthday, which appeared in every major South African newspaper on the day, briefly mentioned that Mandela did have his shortcomings. Then they returned to their flowing praises. “Through the ages, the human race has had its icons（偶像）---- men and women who rose above ordinary people to inspire their generation,” The Mail and Guardian Weekly said. “In our generation, the gods presented us Nelson Mandela.” 小题1:Nelson Mandela is loved by all the people of South Africa because_____________.
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