how was he a safe negro? because he didn't have a civil war?
Probably at the behest of European nations, including the USA, he didn't really punish the apartheid regime and remnants of it still preside over parts of South Africa. The whole "forgiveness" mantra led to European nations being more open to trading with South Africa, which itself has led to South Africa havin more business than other nations, but the reconcilitation act alone was cowardly and deferential. If the "reconciliation" had not been seen as positive by European nations, South Africa wouldn't have any business. The apartheid regime was torturous, murderous and colonialist. Like the Nazis, they would have never survived in Europe. The Europeans would insist they be wiped out just like the Nazis. Yet in South Africa, the reime was simply disbanded. Murderous actors in the regime were given "forgiveness" trials rather than real ones, and their cirmes went unpunished. Today Israel can justifiably track down and brutally murder 85 year old Nazi security guards resting in their beds, yet South Africa cannot and does not do the same to aparthed regime members, many of whom are plotting as we speak.
That said, Mandela did implement the pro-black employment policy and I believe did want to do thins the right way until he realized there was no other way but the European one (if he wanted to get rid of apartheid at all, that is). He also did some pro-black bombing back in the day and was a soldier, although not the only one in Africa by far. Just the most highly touted by the West because he did their bidding.
May he rest in peace. But I will never understand the praise given to him. He basically made it so that we acquiesce to the white power structure and received the illusion of freedom under the guise that south Africans would be treated like human beings on the own soil by their Anglo-Dutch masters. He is a manufactured hero to me given to us by our colonial masters to assuage our laments. The Europeans still run that place.
This is basically what I'm saying.