Words come easy and cost nothing.

The only honest way to honour Nelson Mandela is not to add to the mountain of praise heaped on him but to follow his footsteps in walking the long and arduous road to reconciliation.

In an impassioned speech to the UN on September 21, 1998, Mandela called for the worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons and attacked the addiction of some states to "these terrible and terrifying weapons of mass destruction."

Ironically, it was the racist and violent apartheid regime that took the step of scrapping South Africa's ballistic missile programme in 1990. While the apartheid leaders' actions were certainly worthy of praise (for once), there is some suspicion surrounding their motives. Did they dismantle the country's nuclear missiles because they believed in a vision of an Africa free of nuclear weapons or, realising that black rule was inevitable, did they dismantle these weapons to keep them out of the hands of Nelson Mandela and his looming ANC administration? We may never know the answer.

But it remains true that it is better to do the right thing, even for suspect motives, than to do the wrong thing. In a similar way, Britain could take the honourable path of dismantling Trident, and working to make Europe a nuclear-free zone (as Africa already is), even if it is just to save us the horrendous price tag.

The nightmare of unending state nuclear terrorism, or a first step in our long walk to freedom. That is the stark choice we face. Can anyone doubt which choice Mandiba would make?

Brian M Quail,

2 Hyndland Avenue, Glasgow

It was with great sadness that I heard the news of the passing of Nelson Mandela ("Moral strength that smashed through the gates of injustice", The Herald, December 7).

As director of education for Strathclyde region I had the great honour and privilege of meeting Nelson Mandela when he came to Glasgow in 1993 to accept the Freedom of the City, awarded to him in absentia 12 years earlier while he was in prison.

As we discussed how Strathclyde had supported the ANC while he was in prison and how we might continue to support the emerging multi-racial democratic South Africa, the conversation inevitably turned to his 27 years in prison.

In response to my comment that his period in prison must have been hugely difficult for him, this modest and hugely charismatic man said simply: "That was relatively easy - now comes the difficult bit".

Six months later Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa and set about "the difficult bit", with the same determination, energy, courage and dignity that had characterised his successful battle against apartheid from his prison cell.

The rest is history.

Frank Pignatelli,

Former director of education, Strathclyde Region,

11 Randolph Gate, Glasgow