The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has paid tribute to the legacy of former President Nelson Mandela at its official commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day which was observed on July 18.
A message delivered on behalf of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, described Madiba as a firm believer that common humanity could triumph over the forces of hatred, division, discrimination and injustice.
In a keynote address to the assembly, Journalist Redi Tlhabi said Madiba understood that the systematic erosion of human dignity could never become the price of political expediency.
“ He once reminded us, we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians. He was not making a geopolitical argument. He was making a moral one. Today, Gaza confronts this assembly with the same question that apartheid once posed to the world. Does international law apply equally to everyone? If the answer depends on geography, if it depends on alliances of convenience, if it depends on military strength, if it depends on race, if it depends on gender, religion, then it is no longer law. It is power. It is oppressive power. Mandela understood that.”
–SABC–
