Home Entertainment GOOD MORNING, MR MANDELA secures a talented local screenwriter

GOOD MORNING, MR MANDELA secures a talented local screenwriter

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We’ve previously reported on the news that former Mandela aide Zelda La Grange’s best-selling memoir, Good Morning, Mr Mandela, is being adapted into a film. And that was all we knew at the time with no other details released. However, we now have news on who will has been tasked with writing the screenplay for this adaptation.

Channel24 has now reported that screenwriter Shawn Slovo has been tasked with the responsibility to adapt the book for screen. Slovo is the daughter of anti-apartheid fighters Joe Slovo and Ruth First, but also a successful screenwriter best known for her film A World Apart, based on her childhood in South Africa which went on to win a BAFTA award for Best Screenplay in 1989. Not only does Slovo bring talent to the job, but also a strong political perspective of the country, which hopefully will improve the authenticity and power of the final script.

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La Grange, who was notable for being a white Afrikaner, who began working in Mandela’s office as a typist in 1994, when he was elected as the post-apartheid president, and was promoted in 1999 to the post of private secretary to the office of the president. She served as his secretary till close to his death, so had an undoubtedly close relationship with the man the nation affectionately calls Madiba.

Her memoirs gave a personal and close look at what it was like working with Mandela and how she grew to be close to him coming from a background of being taught he was a terrorist. The movie will undoubtedly look to capture this magic and give a different, but equally compelling view of the man to film.

I’m excited that the studio has gone with a South African writer for the film, as we need to embrace and develop our incredible local talent as much as we can. Hopefully we can also see some local actors portray the roles of one of or both Mandela and La Grange as well for a change.

Last Updated: November 9, 2016

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