Madiba: A life lived in service to others
SOCIETY WILL THRIVE ONLY IF IT TAKES CARE OF ITS CHILDREN
SHORTLY after his release from prison, Nelson Mandela decided that he would celebrate his birthday each year by throwing a party for orphaned and disadvantaged children.
For a global icon like Madiba – who could easily have spent his birthday with world leaders and Hollywood stars – this was an extremely generous and thoughtful act.
Yet it was typical of the Madiba that we have come to know. In a life devoted to the service of the South African people, he has always been determined to find even more ways in which he can help others.
He has always been determined that his stature and fame should be used for the benefit of broader society.
And so he used his birthday to bring happiness and excitement into the lives of thousands of children. At the same time, he made the very important statement that a society will only thrive if it takes care of its children. As always, he was looking towards the future.
As we celebrate his 95th birthday today, we are called upon to follow his lead. Around the country, and around the world, citizens are taking time off from their daily routine to engage in acts that benefit those most in need.
In doing so, they are heeding one of the most important lessons that Madiba taught us – that a life lived in service to others is truly a worthy life. Like Madiba, they are looking towards the future, asking themselves what they can do to build a better, more equitable society.
It is a reflection of Madiba ’ s universal appeal that this day is being marked by such a broad cross-section of people.
Throughout our history, there has been no other South African who has been so widely respected, admired and loved.
In a country that was so bitterly divided, and which still bears the scars of that division, it is remarkable that this one person can so effectively unite us. This shows not only what a great person Madiba is. It also shows that South Africans are capable of putting aside differences in pursuit of a common vision.
As we celebrate Madiba ’ s birthday, we pay tribute to the extraordinary role he played in the achievement of democracy in South Africa.
We pay tribute to the principles and values for which he stands, for which he fought, and for which he sacrificed so much. We celebrate a long and distinguished life dedicated to the pursuit of freedom.
Madiba ’ s birthday is not only about the past. It is not only about celebrating his remarkable achievements. It is also about the future. It is about working to ensure that we achieve the kind of society to which Madiba has dedicated his life.
The 67 minutes of voluntary work that we will each be under- taking today, provide a glimpse of what is possible when we work together. We should emerge from today with a greater sense of what it is that we need to do to build a better South Africa, and with a renewed commitment to each make a contribution to a common future.
We should use this opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices that Madiba made and how he worked selflessly and tirelessly without any expectation of personal reward. We recall that even as he and his comrades faced the gallows, Madiba made the profound statement that the ideal of a democratic and free society was one for which he was prepared to die. There are few who can demonstrate such courage and resolve.
These are qualities that we need to emulate as we confront the many challenges in our society, as we work to end hunger, poverty, unemployment and homelessness, as we tackle abuse, violence and neglect. Thanks to the efforts of Madiba and the many outstanding leaders of our people, we are no longer called upon to die for the achievement of this ideal.
But we are called upon to work together in pursuit of this ideal. Like Madiba, it is an ideal which we should hope to live for, to strive for and to achieve.