This is all too much bigger an issue than a post in a tech rumour site can ever do justice.
However, it is remarkable to read the number of post's, looking to tarnish a person who fought against one of the biggest atrocities of my generation, yet do not give any mention of the regime he fought against.
Apartheid was a hideously oppressive regime who arguably killed and oppressed many more people in it's time than it's opposition did, whether directly or indirectly. Not saying that this is a good thing, however in conflict one side usually wins and there are always casualties.
Mandela a Terrorist?
Any individual or organisation, who seeks to fight a greater power it cannot match on a battle field is called a Terrorist, by nature of it's opposition. Only a power and government able to field an army can really declare a conventional war under law.
The majority of South Africans were not only an occupied people, but those who's native inhabitants were denied the basic freedoms we all take for granted.
By some of the comments on this site you would have to consider that the French Freedom fighters during WW2 were terrorist's. Because the Vichy government of France collaborated with Nazi Germany and so the actions of these individuals were illegal under law. How many people will argue that the means did not justify the end?
Being British, am I to assume that Americans are all a nation of Terrorist's, or do I give consideration to the fact the Colonial rule at the time went too far beyond it's purpose and deserved the result in the ensuing uprising? There are countless examples of this throughout history and it is dangerous to be blasé in retrospect.
Like people have already mentioned, a person is either a Terrorist or a Freedom Fighter, depending on your alliance to the cause at hand.
The ultimate shame to be had, is by the world leaders and nations (including my own, which supported it through commerce), who did nothing, or not enough to help end Apartheid sooner than it did.
Therefore and regardless, history will remember Mandela as a hero in order to hide the shame and mostly abstention in the actions of those who are still alive to be held accountable.
In the same way history has us all believing that the slave owning majority governments grew a conscience and emancipated the black man from Slavery. When in fact is was industrialisation and the machine that ultimately ended slavery in it's primitive form.