20th April important day in history
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu has called on the people of this province to pause for a moment and reflect on the year that is quickly fleeting. Today, Premier Mchunu will present a Budget Vote in the provincial legislature at 14h00.
“It is with a mixture of pride and humility that I will address the people of this province on this important day in our history.”
“I recall that it was on the 20th April 1964 when our former President Nelson Mandela made the most powerful statement during the Revonia Treason Trial.
He said in court:
"During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die".
“A legend of mythological proportions, Tata Madiba’s determination to fight for a free and democratic country inspired the greatest powers of the world. The inspiration he gave to the toiling masses of South Africa shook the apartheid regime and brought it to its knees.”
“He touched the poorest and powerless through his compassion and quest for justice. This is the man whose sacrifices, resilience and commitment to human liberty saw him spend almost two thirds of his life fighting for freedom, one third of which was in prison.”
“As I was preparing this Budget Vote I drew inspiration from Tata Madiba and other the forbearers of our democracy. They continue to inspire us as we seek to improve the conditions under which many of our people live.”
“We recommit ourselves as servants of the people, inspired by the values of Madiba, to intensify our efforts to restore the dignity of our people. We are all reminded today that Tata Madiba believed that the State was the only instrument available to ensure a Better Life for Our People.”
Madiba’s level of influence is best captured below: -
The former Editor of Time Magazine, Richard Stengel said: “Thinking like Nelson Mandela makes you more controlled, more self-disciplined, more measured. 'It makes you take the long view of things.”
The Former US president Bill Clinton: “Nelson Mandela told me he forgave his oppressors because if he didn’t, they would have destroyed him.”
Current US president Barak Obama: “Through his choices, Nelson Mandela made it clear that we did not have to accept the world as it is – that we should do our part to seek the world as it should be.”
Enquiries:
Ndabezinhle Sibiya
Cell: 082 375 4742
