Saltus SGY2 Head Girl, Ciara Burrows, and Upper Primary Head Girl, S6 X’achela Robinson, participated in the tribute to Nelson Mandela at City Hall.

Ciara chose to read an extract from Nelson Mandela’s defence at the Rivonia Trial before he was sentenced to prison, and X’achela wrote on what lessons we can all take from the way Nelson Mandela lived.

Reading by SGY2 Head Girl Ciara Burrows at the memorial for Nelson Mandela at City Hall:

“Nelson Mandela was truly an icon. Like many other great visionaries and extraordinary leaders, Mandela’s life, journey, and legacy will continue to inspire his followers, observers, and countless colleagues. Having witnessed South Africa’s rich beauty first hand through its people, its landscape, and its interior — I can attest to Mandela’s greatest accomplishment: his ideal of “democratic and free society”.

“I will be reading an extract from the 1963-64 Rivonia Trial where Mandela faced the charge of sabotage. During his three-hour defence, he did not deny, but justified why his — and other organisations’-- actions were both necessary and “inevitable”. The following are his last public words before his 1990 release from prison.

“Above all, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This means the white man fears democracy.

“But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on colour is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one colour group by another. The ANC has spent half a century fighting against racialism. When it triumphs it will not change that policy.

“This then is what the ANC is fighting. Their struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by their own suffering and their own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live.

“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.”

“My Tribute to Mr Mandela” by Saltus Year 6 Upper Primary Head Girl X’achela Robinson:

“December 5th, 2013 — This was the day the news flashed about the death of Mr Nelson Mandela. As I watched the images and listened to the words used to describe him, I wondered … just who exactly was this slender grey-haired man who always seemed to wear a smile?

“Thanks to the advances of technology I rushed on to Google to learn more about Mr Mandela, his life, his purpose, his legacy. After-all, who could’ve known that the date of July 18th, 1918, almost a century ago, would mark the birth of a child who would bring about so much change and grow to be an inspiration for his country, South Africa, and the world.

“Fighting for an end to Apartheid, (the forced separation of the races), Mr Mandela was sentenced to life in prison in June 1964 during the Rivonia Trial; for refusing to accept a “norm” that should’ve never been allowed to be “normal.” The Government called it “Treason, Sabotage, and Conspiracy,” but all he really wanted was fairness for all and peace!

He was …

* Locked up for 27 years in a tiny cell, on Robben’s Island for trying to bring about good AND to think, here I thought punishment confined to my room, for actually doing something wrong, was unfair!

He was …

* Forced to work hard and in harsh conditions that ultimately made him sick and even “damaged his tear ducts preventing his ability to cry tears of joy or sadness;” AND to think, here I thought hard work and harsh conditions was to have to do chores like take out the trash or clean my room once a week!

After only 15 minutes of researching, I was starting to see how Mr. Mandela’s life was so influential; because with each new fact I saw about him, I was thinking a little differently and learning a lesson about life. For example:

Mr. Mandela’s …

1.) Earning a law degree and continuing to fight for freedom from jail — despite offers for his release shows …

The importance of making the most of your circumstances no-matter what.

The importance of setting goals and sticking to them.

The importance of sacrificing short-term gains for long-term ones.

Mr. Mandela’s …

2.) Bringing attention to injustice and seeking help from other countries which overtime led to his release from jail shows …

The importance of asking for help when it is needed.

That the actions of a few can make a difference

That sticking together and to your task can allow it to be accomplished.

Mr. Mandela’s …

3.) Maintaining a positive attitude to those who treated him badly and even inviting those who had locked him in jail to sit front row at his inauguration shows …

The importance of letting go of negativity

The importance of not holding grudges

The power of forgiveness

Mr. Mandela’s …

4.) Becoming the President of South Africa shows:

That hard work really does pay off

That despite mistakes or setbacks, there’s always an opportunity to move on, be successful and achieve great things.

Mr. Mandela’s …

5.) Becoming the first black president of his country and ending Apartheid shows:

“It always seems impossible until it is done!”

“In conclusion, as I talked with my mom about Mr Mandela, who I had both come to know through research and lose to death on the same day, I felt sad but also satisfied by all the new things I had learned and; at 10 years old, was inspired by him to want to be a better person.

“No one knows their purpose in life or the impact it can have on the world. However, I think that after Mr Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom,” we owe him more than just words at his time of death. We owe him a promise to let his legacy and the freedom he fought for live on through our voices and actions.”

Thank you so much for everything, Mr Nelson Rolihlahla Madiba Tata Mandela.