Share

Mandela's 'long walk to freedom' has just begun: Graca Machel

Nelson Mandela's widow said on Monday that the world still had a long way to go to attain the freedoms that her husband fought for, as South Africa prepared to celebrate 100 years since his birth.

Graca Machel said that the anniversary events should inspire people to take action to tackle inequality, improve education and become part of a "tapestry of good against evil".

Referencing her husband's memoir Long Walk to Freedom, she said: "We have just begun the journey, we have to keep walking because the freedoms which we are trying to see embodied by (Mandela) are still in their infancy."

Mandela, who died in 2013, remains a global icon for his battle against white-minority apartheid rule and for his message of peace and reconciliation when he was released after 27 years in prison.

"We still have a long way to go to have equality between men and women, between developed and so-called developing countries," Machel said.

"We still have a long way to go to provide and to make sure that every single child has a quality education."

Mandela married Machel, the wife of Mozambique's late President Samora Machel, in 1998.

Former US president Barack Obama will give a flagship speech in Johannesburg on Tuesday to mark the 100th anniversary of Mandela's birth, a day before Mandela's actual birth day on July 18.

Read more about Mandela here

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Can radio hosts and media personalities be apolitical?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes, impartiality is key for public trust
31% - 475 votes
No, let's be real, we all have inherent biases
69% - 1039 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.29
-0.7%
Rand - Pound
23.87
-1.1%
Rand - Euro
20.58
-1.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.38
-1.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
-1.2%
Platinum
943.50
+0.0%
Palladium
1,034.50
-0.1%
Gold
2,391.84
+0.0%
Silver
28.68
+0.0%
Brent Crude
87.29
+0.2%
Top 40
67,314
+0.2%
All Share
73,364
+0.1%
Resource 10
63,285
-0.0%
Industrial 25
98,701
+0.3%
Financial 15
15,499
+0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE