Washington, July 2 : President Gorge W Bush has signed a bill allowing former South African President Nelson Mandela to visit the United States without the secretary of state having to certify that he is not a terrorist.

The new law removes from US immigration watch lists the names of the former South African leader and others on the list because of a relationship with the African National Congress, the Daily News reported.

The ANC has been South Africa’s ruling party since 1994, when a majority-ruled democracy replaced a White-ruled state where the vote was based on race.

During the Cold War, the West considered the ANC a communist organisation that wanted to bring down pro-Western South Africa.

Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his work with the ANC. (ANI)