Many of us would have been way too involved with a good game of My Little Pony or catches in the garden to remember this day. It was pretty important though, and changed our country forever. Some silly people in the Free State  are still debating whether it changed for good or bad, but we tend to just ignore them.

Either way, 25 years ago, Nelson Mandela walked out of Victor Verster Prison in Paarl after 27 years in prison.

South Africa rejoiced: it was the real end of Apartheid and our first step forward.

There was a small crowd outside the prison to cheer him as he walked free alongside his then-wife Winnie, but the excitement was still to come.

Over 50 000 people gathered at Cape Town’s city hall for Mandela’s speech later that day. He spoke one of the most famous speeches of all time, wearing his wife’s reading glasses as his own disappeared in the rush of the release.

Friends, comrades and fellow South Africans.
I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all.
I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.
On this day of my release, I extend my sincere and warmest gratitude to the millions of my compatriots and those in every corner of the globe who have campaigned tirelessly for my release.
I send special greetings to the people of Cape Town, this city which has been my home for three decades. Your mass marches and other forms of struggle have served as a constant source of strength to all political prisoners…

(continued)

We miss you XX

[Source: IOL]