Like all Xhosa children, I acquired knowledge mainly through observation. We were meant to learn through imitation and emulation, not through questions. When I first visited the homes of whites, I was often dumbfounded by the number and nature of questions that children asked of their parents-and their parents' unfailing willingness to answer them. In my household, questions were considered a nuisance; adults imparted information as they considered necessary.

A government which uses force to maintain its rule teaches the oppressed to use force to oppose it.

Only through hardship, sacrifice and militant action can freedom be won. The struggle is my life. I will continue fighting for freedom until the end of my days.

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.

When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.

Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way. Universal suffrage on a common voters' roll in a united, democratic and non-racial South Africa is the only way to peace and racial harmony.

When we can sit in the face of insanity or dislikes and be free from the need to make it different, then we are free.