Madiba richly deserves UN July 18 honour

19 February 2010 - 02:00
By unknown

THE UN has decreed July 18 as "Mandela Day" and such an honour is most deserved.

THE UN has decreed July 18 as "Mandela Day" and such an honour is most deserved.

Madiba "fought injustice in order to preserve our humanity". We all aspire to live by his example as mortal beings. He now occupies a position set by WEB Du Bois and Cheik Anta Diop.

These three redefined the role of public intellectuals and realigned the meaning of an engaged activist. After their example, we have to come to terms with the adage that "to know is to engage".

A civilisation bequeathed to us by Madiba, Du Bois and Anta Diop finds resonance in the words of Mzansi's griot, Mazisi Kunene: "We must congregate here around the sitting mat, to narrate endlessly the stories of distant worlds. It is enough to do so, to give our tale the grandeur of an ancient heritage and to clap our hands for those who are younger".

Jeffrey Sehume

Kwa-Thema