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Gandhi among greatest S Africans
Gandhi is up against a pioneering surgeon, a golfer, and President Mbeki on a shortlist of nine people to find second greatest South African.
Mahatma Gandhi is up against a pioneering surgeon, a golfer, a cleric and President Thabo Mbeki on a shortlist of nine people to find the second greatest South African of all time.
Former president Nelson Mandela was voted the top man by an overwhelming margin when the list of the greatest 100 South Africans was announced by the South African Broadcasting Corporation's SABC3 channel on Sunday.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the lawyer who was destined to become the Mahatma, was the only nominee in the top 100 who was not born in South Africa.
The role that Gandhi played in the freedom struggle in South Africa was highlighted by his selection as a finalist in the top ten.
He also got more votes than other great South African leaders and contemporaries of Mandela like Walter Sisulu and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Chief Albert Luthuli.
The other contenders are: Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, former wife of Nelson Mandela; former state president F. W. de Klerk; golfing legend Gary Player; former Archbishop Desmond Tutu and deceased nominees Chris Barnard, who performed the world's first heart transplant, Xolani Nkosi Johnson, a young lad who won millions of hearts with his public appearances speaking about fighting HIV/AIDS before succumbing to it and former prime minister Jan Smuts.
Gandhi, who spent time in the country at the turn of the 20th century as a young lawyer, went on to formulate his philosophies after being booted off a train compartment reserved for 'Whites Only' in Pietermaritzburg.
Viewers will now see a weekly documentary presented by a champion trying to convince them to vote for who they believe should be in second place behind Mandela.
The documentary on Gandhi will be presented by veteran broadcaster and journalist Brenda Kali. The final list of the top ten will be announced Dec 9 as each champion argues a final motivation for their choice and votes come in live.
Renowned sociologist and historian Fatima Meer and the late Dullah Omar, who served as minister of justice and then of transport before he died of cancer earlier this year, were the only South Africans of Indian origin in the list of 100.
Meer, who has written on the life of Gandhi and Mandela, will be the champion for Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
A rapidly rising South African Indian sports presenter, Kass Naidoo, will champion the cause for golfer Gary Player.
