I am pretty patriotic. I love my country. I love the people and I love what we have become. I love the way the land and the wind and the water all dance in harmony, raising her people up and into the sunshine.
South Africa has a mean past. A past of racism and discrimination. But that indeed is the past, and although there were many people involved with turning the country around, we can all agree, Mr Rolihlahla 'Nelson' Mandela was a key player in creating the nation we have today.
Everyone 'knew' a war was coming. Surely no nation could do a full 180 degree turnaround without massive bloodshed, but Madiba took the helm and led us to reconciliation through peace. Revenge was not on his agenda.
This weekend we visited the recently erected memorial sculpture off the R103, which commemorates the exact place where Madiba was captured and later sentenced to life imprisonment, although luckily for all of South Africans, released after 27 years.
The sculpture is a collection of 50 large steel columns, all between 6.5m and 9.5m tall and placed at such angles that when you stand at an exact point, Madiba's face can be clearly seen, as a flat image.
The sculpture is an awesome tribute to a living hero, a man who has saved a nation from itself, starting a new nation of peace and respect...
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