Comment: Will Nelson Mandela Please Leave The Building

Last weekend is memorable for one thing. A cynically received, global backslapping get together for self righteous phoneys and hypocrites.

They were all there - Geldof, McCartney, Sting, Bono - and of course, Nelson Mandela.

What event of this type would be complete without this former terrorist who tramps around the world in bad shirts giving cliché ridden, touchy feely speeches, urging others to do what he failed to do when he had the opportunity.

Mind you, he doesn't preach to all world leaders. Your rarely hear him criticising his good friends, (or as he calls them his, "comrades in arms") Castro or Qaddafi.

The former leader of the ANC's armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe, (which carried out numerous bombings of military, industrial, civilian and infrastructural sites,) became South Africa's first black President.

During his time in office his social achievements were almost non existent. Even his supporters were disappointed by this artificially created hero. Mandela himself admits that he may have failed his country by not paying more attention to the AIDS epidemic.

Some might even say that the most memorable thing this former freedom fighter did during his leadership, was committing South African troops to quell a coup in Lesotho.

Since retirement he has decided to highlight the devastating AIDS epidemic in South Africa. All well and good - but why did he stand by and do little during his term as President - apart from making speeches to dedicated followers of fashionable causes.

When people hear the name Nelson Mandela, they remember many things. They talk of his fight against apartheid, (failing to mention the violence he advocated). They will mention his arrest and imprisonment. Everyone remembers the "Free Nelson Mandela" campaign and the emotion charged coverage of his release.

But ask them, "What did he achieve socially and economically as President of South Africa? and you will mostly be greeted by silence.

Silence is golden Mr Mandela - it is time for you to be silent before even more people realise you are a nothing more than a former terrorist turned hypocrite.