Mandela's lasting legacy

Few politicians have been as respected in life or honored in death as former South African president Nelson Mandela.

Since the anti-apartheid icon and South Africa's first black president died at 95 in his Johannesburg home on Dec 5, people around the world, no matter how different their backgrounds and political inclinations are, have been commemorating him in different languages and in different ways.

Mandela was not perfect, and the country he leaves behind still faces many problems. But despite his shortcomings, he leaves the world an inheritance to treasure, said a Beijing News editorial on Saturday.