Even before reading his biography, "Mandela: A Biography" by Martin Meredith, Nelson Mandela was my idol, my hero, the man I wanted to emulate, the Lawyer I wanted to become.
He wasn't perfect, he wasn't infallible
He wasn't a saint, he was human
After he fought against all odds, only
time could bring an end to his struggles for equality.
While I am extremely saddened by his
death, I am so thankful for his life.
A quote that I’ve always remembered by
Madiba was when he made an application for recusal (the disqualification of a
judge or jury by reason of prejudice or conflict of interest):
- · “Why is it that in this courtroom I face a white magistrate, am confronted by a white prosecutor, and escorted into the dock by a white orderly? Can anyone honestly and seriously suggest that in this type of atmosphere the scales of justice are evenly balanced?”
And the one that pushed me in the direction that I took… the quote
behind this website, the quote behind my specialisation in Employment law and
now pursuing a PhD in Employment Law/Human Rights…
- · “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
·
Hamba Kahle Tata, the first Black President of
South Africa, a father, not only to his family, but to a nation and to many
people around the world.
1918 – 2013: 95 years of greatness
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