Letter: Think before making racist comments

RACIST rants and utterances have been expressed throughout various forms of media by many people of different creeds, colours and religions. On February 11 1990 Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and had the power to start a civil war through bitterness and revenge on white people by black people. He did not, despite spending 27 years in apartheid prisons, mainly in the most atrocious conditions on Robben Island. Instead, this great man started his first speech as a free man by saying, “Friends, comrades and fellow South Africans. I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all. I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people.

“Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.” Madiba is no longer with us and his legacy lies in tatters. I challenge all South Africans across the political, racial and religious spectrums to resurrect his legacy and consider his suffering for all of us so that we could be free and equal. I challenge all South Africans to think of Madiba before you have a racist thought and/or before you make a racist comment. I challenge all grandparents and parents who still harbour racist thoughts, no matter what your political affiliations and background is, no matter what your colour or religion is, to think before you utter racist comments in front of your children who are indeed the future of our wonderful rainbow nation. Long live peace, democracy and freedom for all.