Madiba’s legacy lives on

FIVE years have passed since the death of South Africa’s greatest hero, Nelson Mandela, pictured, but his legacy lives on in each and every one of us

He was a person full of love, especially for children.

Today we see how many of our children are being abused and have become victims of heinous crimes.

Mandela was a man who practised equality among all. Today we don’t see that in every walk of life.

He was never racist. Today racism plagues communities and has become a norm.

We must re-look at ourselves as the world looks at us – as a great country with immense potential. We can all make our country great by doing simple things like more community involvement, by being polite towards other race groups and the simplest – a smile.

As the great words of Mandela were education “is our greatest weapon”, we must embrace this and his teachings of love, peace, living in harmony and a rainbow nation.

If each and every one of us can practise Mandela’s values, irrespective of race or religion, we can make our country a great one.

Yes, we have teething problems in achieving this, but let us not be disappointed, as Mandela spent a long time in jail and, though disappointed at times, his spirit of freedom lived on.

Let us embrace a man who gave us rights and freedom and utilise this for the greater good of our great country and build a nation as the best in the world.

If you look at it, we have one of the greatest constitutions in the world.