Does anybody really think that they didn't get what they had because they didn't have the talent or the strength or the endurance or the commitment?

One of the things that made me long to be back in prison was that I had so little opportunity for reading, thinking and quiet reflection after my release. I intend, amongst other things, to give myself much more opportunity for such reading and reflection.

South Africans must recall the terrible past so that we can deal with it, forgiving where forgiveness is necessary but never forgetting.

It never hurts to think too highly of a person; often they become ennobled and act better because of it.

Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life . . .

It is a grave error for any leader to be oversensitive in the face of criticism

We now undertake that we cannot rest while millions of our people suffer the pain and indignity of poverty in all its forms.