Mandela and the General

Will the freedom struggle end in a bloodbath? Only two men can avert it.

Mandela and the General brings to life the tense period leading up to the first post-apartheid elections in 1994, when Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid hero and first leader of the new South Africa, stood as an international symbol of the power of a popular movement to fight structural racism. However, this nonviolent struggle for equality and justice almost spiralled into an all-out race war that would have resulted only in 'the peace of graveyards.'

As the elections approached, South African blacks were poised to take power, prompting fear of reprisal among the nation's whites. White nationalist militias, boasting 50,000 well-armed former soldiers, prepared to fight to the death to defend their cause. They needed a leader to unite them: General Constand Viljoen, former chief of apartheid South Africa's military.

Mandela realised he could not avert a bloodbath alone and would have to rely on his archenemy. During these historic months, Mandela and Viljoen met in secret. Trust, for them, was fragile. They faced the task of keeping their followers and radical fringe elements from resorting to violence. The future of the nation rested on the mettle of these two men.

In Mandela and the General, the drama of this contest and the pivotal history surrounding it are brought vividly to life in visual form. Veteran British journalist John Carlin collaborates with Catalan artist Oriol Malet to create a historically and artistically rich graphic novel, one that speaks volumes about today’s polarised politics.