Mandela's release from prison remembered

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Pretoria - South Africans will continue to draw inspiration from the late former President Nelson Mandela, says President Jacob Zuma.

This reaffirmation comes on the 25th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison where he had served 27 years.

“We continue to be inspired by this teaching of forgiveness and national reconciliation as the cornerstones of the society envisaged by our forebears which is being at peace with itself and with the world.

“We must draw lessons from the legacy of former President Nelson Mandela to build true social cohesion where all our people, black and white, can truly feel at home in the country of their birth which is South Africa,” said President Zuma on Tuesday.

He said the day marked a giant leap in the long walk to freedom, not just for Mandela but also for the people of South Africa as a whole.

“It was indeed a momentous occasion and a major milestone not only for us in the liberation movement but for South Africans in general, the resistance movement in the continent and the world over,” said President Zuma.

The day, the president went on, should be a reminder to everyone of the country’s innate capacity as South Africans to overcome even the most daunting challenges and ensure the triumph of good over evil.

The significance of February 11, according to the President, lies in the fact that it set in motion a series of events which made it possible for South Africans to achieve the democratic breakthrough of 1994.

Beyond this, he added, February 11 marked a decisive advance towards the achievement of South Africa’s noble goals to create a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society based on fundamental human rights and the restoration of dignity for all.

“In remembrance of this day and indeed in memory of our icon, Tata Nelson Mandela, let us all redouble our efforts towards the creation of the society he envisaged in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.”

After his release from jail, Mandela led tough negotiations that paved the way for the country's first democratic elections.

He was elected president in 1994, staying in power for only a single five-year term.

He died on 5 December 2013, after a lengthy illness. - SAnews.gov.za