Nelson Mandela

The cost of what they contributed to our struggle is incalculable. We cannot even begin to count what it cost for us to be where we are. In stone and bronze, we continue to write our history. Not the history of those who held power unjustly but the history of those who refused to let injustice have the final word.

— Cyril Ramaphosa on the Mandela and Tambo statues, Durban, March 4, 2026.

We must act with zero tolerance and bring the full force of the law to bear. Let this message be clear: there will be no impunity for acts of corruption and criminality.

— Cyril Ramaphosa, in his State of the Nation address, announcing crackdown on corruption in the criminal justice system

Born in a three-room house, bathroom in the backyard, slop jar by the bed, no hot and cold running water. I understand. Wallpaper used for decoration? No. For a windbreaker. I understand. I’m a working-person’s person. That’s why I understand you, whether you’re Black or white. I understand work. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I had a shovel programmed for my hand.

— Jesse Jackson, Keep Hope Alive speech at the Democratic National Convention, 1988