On Thursday, the legacy of former President Nelson Mandela was commemorated through a dialogue aimed at addressing gender-based violence.
The Is’thunzi Sabafazi Dialogue was hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation together with the Graça Machel Foundation at the University of Johannesburg, Soweto Campus.
Among those who attended the event were well-known and powerful voices against women and children abuse, including media personality, Oprah Winfrey; UN Head of Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Mandela’s widow and activist, Graca Machel.
Winfrey, who was the main guest speaker kept the audience captivated by recounting her fondest memories of Madiba and the Christmas she spent at his Qunu home.
#Oprah : I spent 10 days and nights with Mandela and his wife.#IsithunziSabafazi #sabcnews
— SABC News Online (@SABCNewsOnline) November 29, 2018
#Oprah : I believe that women are going to save South Africa. #sabcnews #IsithunziSabafazi
— SABC News Online (@SABCNewsOnline) November 29, 2018
She beamed with pride as she shared the success of her girl’s academy and recommitted herself to the struggle of empowering young girls from less privileged families through decent and quality education.
The event coincided with the ongoing 16 Days of Activism Campaign of no Violence against Women and Children. Mlambo-Ngcuka says the violence perpetuated against women is a fight that Madiba would have loved to see it conquered.
“Today was an important event to link the memory of Tata Madiba with struggles that women are fighting today, especially the struggles to end gender-based violence, because he would have wanted us to conquer gender-based violence.”
In her speech, Machel called for a determination in restoring women’s dignity in society
“This not an event; it’s an a empowerment moment for us to walk day after day for the next 100 years until we get to that dome in which young women are accepted, respected and have dignity.”
Machel to @Oprah : We as South Africans, Africans can never thank you enough for the school #SABCNEWS #IsithunziSabafazi
— Lerato Matlala (@Lira_Matlala) November 29, 2018
Nelson Mandela foundation CEO, Sello Hatang, says they are happy with Thursday’s event.
“The Nelson Mandela Foundation is pleased is with the event today. It reminds us of all our responsibility to grow the Nelson Mandela’s legacy, but also those who were around him like MaSisulu. May we not forget the role of women who built Madiba – from his mother to his wives. The three wives that he had, each one of them… I think it can only be great if we can be reminded that each one of us can be reminded of our responsibility to carry the legacy.
Click below to see people’s reactions of the event:
