Make every day a Mandela Day

MANDELA Month has just drawn to a close and millions of people, both here and abroad, have paid homage to the man they revere as the Father of the Nation.

They recognise the indelible mark he left on the country after fighting so valiantly for the overthrow of apartheid, the 27 years he spent in prison and the invaluable role he played in overseeing our transition to democracy.

They remember his leadership style and how he fought to ensure conflict resolution, the protection of human rights, maintaining good race relations, and bringing about reconciliation.

And they honoured his legacy in many different ways – by singing in celebration; saying prayers of thanks; and giving of their time to render service to people in need.

South Africans will never forget his call to his people to make the world a better place.

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived.

“It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

The question to ask ourselves at this juncture is whether all these gestures of goodwill and sharing during Mandela Month is going to make a real and significant difference to the lives of others.

Are we going to recognise his legacy just for the month of July each year? Once Mandela Month is over, is it business as usual? Do we place his legacy in cold storage for the rest of the year and pretend our problems are over?

With poverty levels still rising, unemployment soaring, race relations fraying at the edges and corruption eating at the very soul of the nation, South Africa is in crisis mode.

Change is desperately needed on so many fronts – including leadership where there is a huge void.

What South Africa needs is a sort of Marshall Plan, a mini version of the American initiative that helped rebuild Western Europe after the devastation of the last World War.

That’s going to require more than a mere month each year. It calls for the involvement of government, business, civil society and people in general to roll up their sleeves and play an active role in advancing our communities, all the year round.

Mandela’s legacy and the values he preached offer the country hope.

We need to join hands in making his legacy a way of life among all South Africans.