We Observed Mandela Day Not As Country On Its Knees, But As A People Who Collectively Embody Madiba’s Spirit – Ramaphosa

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA|

YESTERDAY, we joined with people across the world in marking Nelson Mandela Day through acts of service and generosity. But this Nelson Mandela Day was different to previous years. It took place in the aftermath of a week in which parts of our country were gripped by violence and mayhem.
 
It was a week in which we were confronted by deeply unsettling images of desolate owners standing outside the shells of what was once a thriving business; of looted shops and warehouses; of burning trucks and buildings and streets strewn with debris; of anxious citizens barricading their communities; and of snaking queues of people lining up to buy food.
 
Despite this, we observed Nelson Mandela Day not as country on its knees, but as a people who collectively embody the spirit of Nelson Mandela, perhaps as never before.
 
What I have seen in the last