Speech delivered by the Minister of Basic Education, Honourable Mrs. Angie Motshekga, MP, at the Makgatho Lewanika Primary School in Mvezo during the 6th Nelson Mandela International Day celebrations
Programme Director,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Today I stand before you to speak in honour of the son of Mvezo, uTata Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela affectionately known as Madiba. Comrade Nelson Mandela as we know was the founding President of the modern day South Africa founded on the values of freedom, peace, justice and equality.
Lest we forget till he took his last breathe on that fateful day on the 5th December 2013 at 20h50, Madiba was a member and leader of the African National Congress (ANC). He dedicated his life to the struggle for the liberation of his people and the people of the world. Madiba’s humility, compassion, and humanity earned him the love and respect of the people of South Africa, Africa and the World.
Madiba’s abiding vision was for a society where no person was exploited, oppressed or despised by another. Madiba’s life was dedicated to the building of a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa and a just world order.
Today, we return to Mvezo to honour this giant whose umbilical cord is buried deep in the bowels of this village. Programme Director; I do feel a sense of inadequacy that the President of the Republic His Excellency Mr. Jacob Zuma requested me to deliver today’s address. I am a mere commoner yet I have been asked to talk about a member of the most internationally famous Thembu Royal House Member that is uTata Nelson Mandela, whose father was a reigning nobleman from a junior branch of the Madiba clan of kings.
In recognising the extraordinary human achievement of the son of Mvezo, in November 2009, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared, 18 July, Madiba’s birthdate to be the Nelson Mandela International Day. In taking this bold decision the General Assembly said the world must honour Madiba’s birthday as a token of appreciation for his extraordinary dedication to the values of freedom, equality, world peace and justice.
It further called upon people worldwide to emulate Madiba’s values of service to humanity, humility and compassion. It is important to note that this was the first time in history that the UN designated a day to honour an individual. The UN further asked the people of the world to set aside 67 minutes of their day to undertake a task that would contribute to bringing joy or relief to the millions of disadvantaged and vulnerable people of the world.
The only compelling reason that the United Nations agreed to set aside a day to honour the son of Mvezo was because of his role as a revolutionary leader who spent nearly seven decades of his life in the struggle against white minority rule and for a free and democratic non-racial society.
Madiba’s greatness lies in the fact that he was a visionary, a democrat and international political leader who exercised his influence and leadership with humility and respect for his colleagues and opponents alike. He was, above all, a man who was stubborn in his resolve to fight all forms of discrimination, injustice and inequality.
Comrade Nelson Mandela embodied the audacity of hope, the tenacity of youth and the militancy of revolutionaries in the struggle for the liberation for his people.
It was this selfless service, Programme Director and Comrades that earned him the recognition as a global statesman and the many accolades bestowed upon him including the esteemed Isithwalandwe - the highest honour that can be bestowed on the ANC leader, Member of the Order of Mapungubwe and the Nobel Peace Prize amongst many others.
Today marks the 6th anniversary of the International Nelson Mandela Day. It is within this context that today we gather here to renew our vow that our freedom is incomplete as long as sections of our society still remain vulnerable.
The ground on which we stand today is a refurbished school which will further the ideals of uTata who loved children and valued education more than anything else. To demonstrate let me quote Madiba’s wise words on the centrality of education in our beautiful land. Madiba once said eloquently that, “No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated.”
Madiba put it succinctly in his world acclaimed autobiography Long Walk to Freedom when he wrote:
“Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine that a child of farmworkers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”
This school aptly named Makgatho Lewanika Primary School will be officially opened by the President in August to ensure that the children of Mvezo never; never again shall they become hewers of wood and drawers of water. We expect the next generation of Mvezo children to take up their rightful place in commerce, academia, leadership and the advancement of human rights and dignity.
Our task today as part of the 6th Nelson Mandela International Day activities include working on reinforcing the existing parameter fence, cleaning the school and planting of 67 Umkhanyakude trees as a symbol of 67 years that Madiba spent in service of humanity.
We are indeed honoured to walk in the shadow of a giant that was Madiba. We owe to him and his generation an immense debt of gratitude for sacrificing life and limb in pursuance of our liberty. We therefore have a historical duty to honour the ideals of Madiba and his generation through words, deeds and hard work in service of humanity. We need to inculcate in our society that there is honour in hard work. There is honour in humility.
There is honour is serving humanity. There is honour in sacrifice. There is honour in showing compassion. We must through deeds agree with ourselves that we will not let Madiba die as long as we live. Nelson Mandela, the father of our nation and icon of our struggle, must never die for as long as the untold suffering of our people continue and for as long as the ANC lives to create a better life for all.
Together we have come far to build the South Africa that Comrade Nelson Mandela and his generation envision. Daily, we are confronted with challenges of delivering to our people the freedom that Comrade Nelson Mandela lived and died for. Much has been done however much more still remains to be achieved.
The fulfilment of his pledge to liberate our people from the continuing bondages of “poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination” must be the inspiration that guides our people during this time and beyond.
In a moving tribute written by his comrade-in-arms, a mentor and a friend the late Comrade Walter Sisulu, he wrote thus:
“In a world of the powerful and powerless, among decision makers and marginalised, among children, youth and adults, he was at ease and at home and, he made each of us feel less disempowered and more “captains” of our lives.”
In the son of Mvezo, uTata uMadiba, we have our nearest and brightest star to guide us on our way. We will not get lost. To Comrade Mandela, today I pledge that as a public representative I shall continue to serve with honour and dignity. I shall spare neither strength nor courage in serving your people. I will not dare allow your people to languish in poverty, deprivation, discrimination and suffering of any sort.
Now, let us get back to work.
I thank you.
