Quote collection
666 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Individuals get caught up in the policy of their country. In prison, for instance, a warden or officer is not promoted if he doesn't follow the policy of the government - though he himself does not believe in that policy."
"If I am your leader, you have to listen to me & if you don’t want to listen to me, then drop me as your leader"
"There are so many men and women who hold no distinctive positions but whose contribution towards the development of society has been enormous. Some of them are not known even in their own countries, but when you come across them you are very impressed. Those are heroes or heroines we must never forget. Because of their service to society, you can't really help but admire them."
"We cannot blame other people for our troubles. We are not victims of the influx of foreign people into South Africa. We must remember that it was mainly due to the aggressive and hostile policies of the apartheid regime that the economic development of our neighbours was undermined."
"I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all."
"When we read we are able to travel to many places, meet many people and understand the world."
"We should take heart from our own experience and performance. In a cynical world we have become an inspiration to many."
"I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed."
"It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor."
"I went as an observer, not a participant, for I do not think that I ever spoke. I wanted to understand the issues under discussion, evaluate the arguments, see the calibre of the men involved."
"The process of illusion & disillusionment is part of life and goes on endlessly."
"Before I went to jail, I was active in politics as a member of South Africa's leading organization - and I was generally busy from 7 A.M. until midnight. I never had time to sit and think."
"To go to prison because of your convictions and be prepared to suffer for what you believe in, is something worthwhile. It is an achievement for a man to do his duty on earth irrespective of the consequences."
"Prison life, fortunately, I spent a lot of years, about 18 years with other prisoners, and, as I say, they enriched your soul."
"The authorities liked to say that we received a balanced diet; it was indeed balanced - between the unpalatable and the inedible."
"That day, Miss Mdingane told me that my new name was Nelson. Why she bestowed this particular name upon me I have no idea. Perhaps it had something to do with the great British sea captain Lord Nelson, but that would be only a guess."
"Trade justice for the developing world and for this generation is a truly significant way for the developed countries to show commitment to bringing about an end to global poverty."
"[Giving] is the essence of the great religions of the world - whether you are discussing the Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or Christian religion. It is an essential fundamental principle of all religions, whatever stage of development a society has reached, to sympathize with others and to promote that spirit of equality."
"Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity's belief in justice, strenthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul, and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all."
"It is also the fate of leadership to be misunderstood. It is a grave error for any leader to be oversensitive in the face of criticism, to conduct discussions as if he or she is a schoolmaster talking to less informed and inexperienced learners."