Barry Soper | Breakfast with Mandela

Having joined the press gallery as its youngest member in 1980, Barry Soper is set to depart this year one of its veterans. Four decades and ten Prime Ministers on, he reflects on his career-shaping encounters with Nelson Mandela and his years holding power to account.

A very fortunate case of mistaken identity in 1991 culminated in Barry Soper introducing then-NZ Prime Minister Jim Bolger to Nelson Mandela at a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The chance meeting led to breakfast and several more encounters with the legendary anti-apartheid activist, culminating in a lifelong fascination with the man who'd go on to become South Africa's first president.

In this conversation with broadcaster and media chaplain Rev Frank Ritchie, Barry discusses his rendezvous with world leaders, his years holding the powerful to account, and the changing face of journalism.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details