Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai salutes Mandela

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai and Deputy President Paul Mashatile have honoured former President Nelson Mandela and called on leaders to recommit themselves to the former statesman's vision of providing a better life for all South Africans.

They were speaking at separate events to commemorate Tuesday’s 10th anniversary of the death of the world statesman and Nobel laureate.

Delivering the 21st Nelson Mandela lecture in Johannesburg, Yousafzai called on governments around the world to make “gender apartheid” a crime against humanity. “It took a bullet to my head for the world to stand with me. What will it take for the world to stand with the girls and women of Afghanistan?” she asked.

She said apartheid is a system that is imposed and enforced by those in power, the very people who are supposed to protect their citizens. She said in the case of South Africa, defenders of such a system insisted it was a natural order of things to separate whites from non-whites.

“Similarly in Afghanistan, Taliban says oppressing girls and women is a matter of religion. That is only an excuse and it is also not true. Many Muslim scholars have made it clear Islam does not condone denying girls the right to education and to work,” she said.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation said that like Mandela, Yousafzai has become a global icon who has championed education and human rights, earning her a Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17.

Addressing Parliament, Mashatile recalled Mandela’s wisdom and tenacity in fighting the apartheid system and dedication to building a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society.

“We do not only recall but rededicate ourselves to the vision of our founding President … that of building a better life for all,” he said.

-0- PANA CU/MA 6Dec2023