Mandela's Release: A Biased Perception

the political climate.
In the photograph, Mandela is depicted in the centre holding the hand of his wife at the time, Winnie Mandela, shortly after his release from Victor Verster prison, both having a raised and victorious fist in the air.
Later in the day at the Cape Town Grand Parade by the Cape Town City Hall, Mandela delivered his famous release speech to a massive crowd. Included in this speech was Mandela’s declaration of being a “Loyal and disciplined member of the ANC,” as well as his continued pledge to the armed struggle.
After Mandela’s release, he was welcomed home to Soweto, met with the exiled leaders of the ANC in Lusaka, was elected Deputy President of the organisation and pledged the ANC’s promise of negotiations with the NP. Months after his release, the ANC ended their
This photograph does not reflect the intense violence happening at the time, and neither does it reflect the concerns held by many members of the South African public with regards to Mandela’s release and the transformation of South Africa. This photograph can thus be considered biased against Apartheid, as Nelson Mandela is depicted in a heroic fashion and during his years in prison, he became the ultimate anti-Apartheid symbol. The photograph also elicits a highly emotional response that aligns the viewer with the perspectives and values of the photographer. Additionally, owing to the photograph being a close-up, the photograph only shows the happiness and positivity associated with the event, as well as emphasises the importance of Mandela with the power solute, therefore as a result, the the wider context of the event may have been omitted; for example, people that may have been protesting Mandela’s release at this event are not shown in the