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ApRil 27， 1994 is a day south Africans will never forget. It marked the first democratic elections， historically ending more than 300 years of colonial and white minority rule. It also heralded the election of Nelson Mandela， an icon in the country’s pursuit of freedom， as South Africa’s president.
The 20th anniversary of peace and democracy is an important time for South Africans to reflect on what they have achieved in the past two decades. It also presents an opportunity for the rest of the world to reflect on the life of Nelson Mandela and the impact his legacy has on South Africa and the rest of the world.
On July 15， Dr. Behki langa， South African Ambassador to China， shared his opinion on this topic with Chinese scholars during a presentation at the Institute of West Asian and African Studies， Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
“Even though Mandela has departed this world， he continues to have this overwhelming presence in our lives. He leaves behind an incredible legacy. He has made a mark in human history，” said Dr. Langa.
The following are his thoughts on Nelson Mandela， South Africa’s democracy and BRICS in an exclusive interview with ChinAfrica：
ChinAfrica： What are some of the most important steps south Africa has made in its development in the 20 years since the end of apartheid？
Dr. Behki langa： Our Constitution lays the basis for the construction of a democratic， nonracial， non-sexist， united and prosperous society based on justice， equality， the rule of law and the inalienable human rights of all.
One of the symbolic moments of the exodus from the past was the raising of the new flag in 1994. This moment aptly affirmed the pride and dignity of an unfolding country and a celebration of humanity. Another significant moment was the merger of Nkosi？Sikelel’？iAfrika and Die？Stem [the former anthem of the apartheid government] to form one national anthem in 1997. On April 27， 2000， the new Coat of Arms was launched embracing the collective his- torical essence of the people of the country.
The South African Government encourages every sector of society to reflect on the progress made and the challenges that the nation has faced over the past 20 years. We must never forget that our democratic birth was rightly hailed as a miracle. Doomsayers and those who wanted us to fail had predicted chaos and civil war. However， none of these things came to pass and the values of democracy and freedom of our birth still endure today. South Africa has abandoned its shameful past and steadily moved toward building a new culture based on respect of human rights and dignity. Compared to before 1994， we can proudly proclaim that millions of people now have water， electricity， sanitation and housing. By our own standards， we declare that this is not good enough； that we must not rest until all the people can claim a better life. The release of the Census 2011 figures shows a definitive picture of a country that is rapidly changing for the better. The figures paint the picture of a country that has increased income levels， an improvement in the roll-out of basic services and amenities， and increased levels of education.
While celebrating our achievements and reflecting on the journey we have traveled， we must also look forward to the next 20 years. The National Development Plan （NDP） is our roadmap. The plan outlines the type of society we are striving for in 2030， where no one is hungry， where everyone is able to go to school and further their studies if they wish， where work is available， and where everyone is making a contribution because each person has been provided with what they need to reach their full potential.
What should south Africa do to ensure that the legacy of Nelson Mandela lives on？
Mandela has made an indelible mark on our society， having overseen the transition from apartheid to a society built on the pillars of democracy and freedom. To uphold Mandela’s legacy， South Africans need to uphold his ideal， including his unwavering commitment to justice， equality and a non-racial South Africa.
His legacy lives on in all of us - it is in our hands now. I think the roots that Mandela sowed are deep enough for South Africans to realize that what he wanted for us is happiness， prosperity， education and health care.
In November 2009， the United Nations General Assembly announced that Mandela’s birthday， July 18， was to be known as “Nelson Mandela International Day.” Nelson Mandela International Day is created to inspire people from every corner of the earth to embrace the values of Nelson Mandela that have embodied his life - democracy， equality， reconciliation， responsibility， respect and freedom， for these are the values of Nelson Mandela and they are his legacy to the world. This initiative intends to create a continuous movement for good work and make it an annual celebration of Mandela’s life and a global call to action for everyone has the power to change the world around them. Nelson Mandela is calling on all of us to set an example for the next generation to follow. This is a call for action. Let us nurture a culture of helping one another. As BRiCs countries， what can China and south Africa learn from each other？
The fact that membership of BRICS comes so shortly after the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between South Africa and China is a clear sign of the good relationship that exists between the two sides. Association of the BRICS will be mutually beneficial to both South Africa and China as it is another forum in which the two sides can discuss multilateral issues of mutual concern.
China’s robust economic growth in the past 30 years offers lessons for other regions， especially Africa， as the world is closely watching to see if Africa can become an economic lion beside the Chinese dragon and the Indian tiger.
And the growing economic ties between South Africa and China pave the way for experience sharing. China’s cooperation with South Africa is by no means new. What is new， however， is the level and significance of China’s partnership with Africa； within the context of South-South cooperation， trade， investment and exchange of know-how can become an important source of growth in the post-crisis era.
South Africa is exploring ways of sustainable growth that fit our own realities， as China did in the past three decades. Development and poverty reduction are our common goals.
The 20th anniversary of peace and democracy is an important time for South Africans to reflect on what they have achieved in the past two decades. It also presents an opportunity for the rest of the world to reflect on the life of Nelson Mandela and the impact his legacy has on South Africa and the rest of the world.
On July 15， Dr. Behki langa， South African Ambassador to China， shared his opinion on this topic with Chinese scholars during a presentation at the Institute of West Asian and African Studies， Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
“Even though Mandela has departed this world， he continues to have this overwhelming presence in our lives. He leaves behind an incredible legacy. He has made a mark in human history，” said Dr. Langa.
The following are his thoughts on Nelson Mandela， South Africa’s democracy and BRICS in an exclusive interview with ChinAfrica：
ChinAfrica： What are some of the most important steps south Africa has made in its development in the 20 years since the end of apartheid？
Dr. Behki langa： Our Constitution lays the basis for the construction of a democratic， nonracial， non-sexist， united and prosperous society based on justice， equality， the rule of law and the inalienable human rights of all.
One of the symbolic moments of the exodus from the past was the raising of the new flag in 1994. This moment aptly affirmed the pride and dignity of an unfolding country and a celebration of humanity. Another significant moment was the merger of Nkosi？Sikelel’？iAfrika and Die？Stem [the former anthem of the apartheid government] to form one national anthem in 1997. On April 27， 2000， the new Coat of Arms was launched embracing the collective his- torical essence of the people of the country.
The South African Government encourages every sector of society to reflect on the progress made and the challenges that the nation has faced over the past 20 years. We must never forget that our democratic birth was rightly hailed as a miracle. Doomsayers and those who wanted us to fail had predicted chaos and civil war. However， none of these things came to pass and the values of democracy and freedom of our birth still endure today. South Africa has abandoned its shameful past and steadily moved toward building a new culture based on respect of human rights and dignity. Compared to before 1994， we can proudly proclaim that millions of people now have water， electricity， sanitation and housing. By our own standards， we declare that this is not good enough； that we must not rest until all the people can claim a better life. The release of the Census 2011 figures shows a definitive picture of a country that is rapidly changing for the better. The figures paint the picture of a country that has increased income levels， an improvement in the roll-out of basic services and amenities， and increased levels of education.
While celebrating our achievements and reflecting on the journey we have traveled， we must also look forward to the next 20 years. The National Development Plan （NDP） is our roadmap. The plan outlines the type of society we are striving for in 2030， where no one is hungry， where everyone is able to go to school and further their studies if they wish， where work is available， and where everyone is making a contribution because each person has been provided with what they need to reach their full potential.
What should south Africa do to ensure that the legacy of Nelson Mandela lives on？
Mandela has made an indelible mark on our society， having overseen the transition from apartheid to a society built on the pillars of democracy and freedom. To uphold Mandela’s legacy， South Africans need to uphold his ideal， including his unwavering commitment to justice， equality and a non-racial South Africa.
His legacy lives on in all of us - it is in our hands now. I think the roots that Mandela sowed are deep enough for South Africans to realize that what he wanted for us is happiness， prosperity， education and health care.
In November 2009， the United Nations General Assembly announced that Mandela’s birthday， July 18， was to be known as “Nelson Mandela International Day.” Nelson Mandela International Day is created to inspire people from every corner of the earth to embrace the values of Nelson Mandela that have embodied his life - democracy， equality， reconciliation， responsibility， respect and freedom， for these are the values of Nelson Mandela and they are his legacy to the world. This initiative intends to create a continuous movement for good work and make it an annual celebration of Mandela’s life and a global call to action for everyone has the power to change the world around them. Nelson Mandela is calling on all of us to set an example for the next generation to follow. This is a call for action. Let us nurture a culture of helping one another. As BRiCs countries， what can China and south Africa learn from each other？
The fact that membership of BRICS comes so shortly after the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between South Africa and China is a clear sign of the good relationship that exists between the two sides. Association of the BRICS will be mutually beneficial to both South Africa and China as it is another forum in which the two sides can discuss multilateral issues of mutual concern.
China’s robust economic growth in the past 30 years offers lessons for other regions， especially Africa， as the world is closely watching to see if Africa can become an economic lion beside the Chinese dragon and the Indian tiger.
And the growing economic ties between South Africa and China pave the way for experience sharing. China’s cooperation with South Africa is by no means new. What is new， however， is the level and significance of China’s partnership with Africa； within the context of South-South cooperation， trade， investment and exchange of know-how can become an important source of growth in the post-crisis era.
South Africa is exploring ways of sustainable growth that fit our own realities， as China did in the past three decades. Development and poverty reduction are our common goals.