I WAS so pleased to see the unveiling of the statue of Nelson Mandela that I was taken a bit by surprise by the letters reminding us that he was once described as a terrorist (HAS, Sept 3).

When he was elected as president I made a visit to South Africa, and saw for myself the results of the apartheid regime that was replaced, and I was in the Parliament building in Cape Town to hear Mr Mandela's first state of the union message.

To me it was a privilege to be there and to have the opportunity to meet so many people in the country from the various communities.

I am no great supporter of Gordon Brown, who I link with Tony Blair, but I was pleased to hear the remarks he made in support of Mr Mandela.

So it can be said that I am standing up to be counted, and I am proud to be one of the people who demonstrated in London before the memorable day when Mr Mandela was released from his imprisonment in Robben Island.

Geoffrey Bulmer, Billingham.

THIS is for all those people who have a negative attitude about the statue of Nelson Mandela (HAS, Sept 3).

I grew up in South Africa as a white South African in the apartheid era and I am greatly embarrassed as to how black people were treated back then.

Mr Mandela has had a huge positive impact on the country.

Without him, black people would not be free today, would not be allowed out after a certain time at night, innocent black people would still be beaten and killed by police and, most importantly, black people would not be allowed to vote.

Mr Mandela is not a murderer or terrorist, but a hero to millions worldwide. I think that people need to read his autobiography, called Long Walk to Freedom, and then form their opinion.

Ruth Cunningham, Barnard Castle, Co Durham.