I’m personally unsure about the decision of putting a living former president on our banknotes. While I think all South African’s owe Madiba immense gratitude for the sacrifices he made for all of us, I’m moved to think about Tim Cohen’s comments in Buisness Day when he expressed his discomfort about the banknotes: “We, of course venerate Mandela, but should a living politician, very associated with one political party, really be on all the banknotes?” As Phylicia Oppelt said, “Leave the rhino on our bank notes, because soon it will be the only place where our children will be able to see rhinos.”
Besides this criticism, is this truly a fitting monument to Madiba? If we really want to honour him, we should focus on building the country he envisioned. I think Madiba would rather see the creation of jobs; building of houses, hospitals and schools; reformation of education and fighting corruption before having his face on banknote. By making SA a dynamic and positive country for all who live in it is the best way to honour those that sacrificed for freedom.
No comments:
Post a Comment