President brings hope

Mfundo Magaba, Driftsands

It’s fun to see toddlers wearing their parents’ shoes, trying to walk in them. Depending on how they lift their legs up, some will fall, some will take one or two steps forward.

Allow me to say President Cyril Ramaphosa is ready to walk in Nelson Mandela’s shoes. Big shoes to fill, no comparisons can be made between the two.

My line of focus for today is on President Ramaphosa.

He is our own beacon of hope in challenges of unemployment, social injustices, racism, crime among others. On many occasions he has made me believe that he learnt a lot from Madiba.

He has mastered the fundamental ethos of Batho Pele – people first.

In umrhabulo – political education- we are told that Nelson Mandela refused to be released from prison unless he was given an assurance that all black people were to be freed from all forms of slavery.

Part of what makes us to love Madiba is the fact that people’s challenges were his priority.

President Ramaphosa has a sharp eye for locating exactly where the hearts and brains of South Africans are.

While we know that the president at some stage left the political space and went on to build a business empire, not much has been reported by the media on the role he played in assisting the underprivileged while in businesses.

He did good acts like providing bursaries to deserving students. Through the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation, he is promoting and encouraging the youth to take education seriously. We witness on many occasions the high rate of women abuse and President Ramaphosa has raised his hand and invited men to fight gender-based violence.Recently in Parliament he made a promise that he will not only be the President to those who voted him to power but all South Africans. This is exactly what Nelson Mandela fought for and he died a happy man because his dream was fulfilled.

The nation is waiting for a better South Africa. Just after he was inaugurated as the sixth democratic president, Ramaphosa promised that among the issues he will be focusing on is job creation, youth development, uniting South Africa and appointing men and women who are ready to serve South Africans.