My respect for human beings is based not on the colour of a man’s skin nor authority he may wield, but purely on merit.

We don't have to be victims of our past, that we can let go of our bitterness, and that all of us can achieve greatness.

Strong convictions are the secret of surviving deprivation; your spirit can be full even when your stomach is empty.

If you make one gift this year, make it the gift of knowledge.

We shall immunize every child in Africa to get rid of this terrible disease forever.

As long as many of our people still live in utter poverty, as long as children still live under plastic covers, as long as many of our people are still without jobs, no South African should rest and wallow in the joy of freedom.

People respond in accordance to how you relate to them. If you approach them on the basis of violence, that's how they'll react. But if you say, 'We want peace, we want stability,' we can then do a lot of things that will contribute towards the progress of our society.