Premier's Birthday Message to Madiba

Dear Madiba,

It gives me great pleasure to wish you a Happy 94th Birthday! The people of South Africa are fortunate to have had the example of your wisdom and humanity to help us navigate the rocky road to reconciliation and a shared nationhood. It is one that we are still walking and on which we still have a long road ahead. But, with your example to inspire us, we can become a genuine Rainbow Nation which fulfills the Dream of 1994.

You were the custodian of that dream in the formative years of our democracy and we remain grateful as a nation that you cemented that custodianship by servant leadership which put the Constitution and the interests of society first. You showed, above all else, that the Constitution is a sacred covenant that is designed to protect the people from power abuse.

You have been the embodiment of the four pillars that underpin our Constitution: You personally led the way in advancing reconciliation, you constantly reminded us of the need for meaningful redress, you prioritised delivery for all and urged us to embrace and cherish the diversity that makes us such a unique and resilient nation.

Your legacy is one which teaches that our common humanity is more valuable to us than our differences and that we can indeed build a united nation with a shared future. We should all strive to live those values daily and we thank you for what you have been to us, in ways that we already know and are yet still to realise. Imini emandi kuwe Tata!

Helen Zille.