“Education is the most powerful tool that you can use to change the world,” one of Mandela’s most profound quotes remains one of my guiding lights through life even now as I reflect on the life of the hero that was and the spirit that still is. Indeed, Mandela has impacted the world and as a young man I am happy that I have had the time to amass a wealth of knowledge on his work, his struggles and perseverance. There is no doubt that this man will (and has) gone down in history as one of the greatest and most selfless persons to have walked this earth.
Mandela is the epitome of perseverance; from prison to presidency and on numerous occasions from hospital to home and through it all he remained a powerful voice for the people who struggled. Madiba serves as an example to all leaders. For him, it was not about his interests but about the interests of all his people that were oppressed; not about the compensation for his work but about achieving the results for the goals he had in mind. As we mourn his death, let us in the midst of it be happy for the lives he touched, the millions which he freed and the dignity with which he treated even those who mistreated him. No one can fill the void he has left but we can all aim to live like he did with dignity, respect and selflessness.
“No sun outlasts its sunset but will rise again and bring a new dawn,” Maya Angelou. Long live the legacy of Nelson Rolilahlah ‘Madiba’ Mandela.
DIXON'S RANT 