Nelson Mandela: In His Own Words

*** This programme was first broadcast on 22 October, 2010 ***

Listen to diary excerpts written on the night of Mandela's release from Pollsmoor in February 1990, and hear drafts of his very early speeches as leader of the ANC.

There is a letter discussing the role of police in society, set down on notepaper emblazoned with the cartoon cat Garfield, which ends: 'Let's not leave this meeting showing it's a failure.'

We hear him chiding himself over a 'grave error of judgement' when he proposed lowering the voting age to 14. And we hear extracts from letters and diaries written during his years in retirement as he observes the ongoing political struggles of South Africa.

(Image: Nelson Mandela reads from a manuscript, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)