Glasgow's new statue of Nelson Mandela is a lasting reminder of a historic decision

Nelson Mandela, pictured in 2007, won the Nobel peace prize with FW de Klerk 'for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa' (Picture: Leon Neal) | AFP via Getty Images

In 1981, Nelson Mandela was regarded by many in Britain as a terrorist. So when Glasgow became the first place in the world to award him the Freedom of the City, it was controversial. It recognised his cause was just and the apartheid regime was a racist tyranny.

In 1993, Mandela came to Glasgow and explained why this had meant so much. “While we were physically denied our freedom in the country of our birth, a city 6,000 miles away, and as renowned as Glasgow, refused to accept the legitimacy of the apartheid system, and declared us to be free.”

READ MORE: Nelson Mandela was a political giant

The following year, he became president of South Africa, with FW de Klerk, the last apartheid president, as his deputy. The astonishing spirit of peace, reconciliation and forgiveness he fostered saw him known affectionately as ‘Madiba’ by black and white South Africans alike.

Yesterday, Glasgow honoured the memory of this great man by unveiling a new statue of him in Nelson Mandela Place – a lasting reminder of his legacy and the moment the city chose to be on the right side of history.