Together we have travelled a long road to be where we are today. This has been a road of struggle against colonial and apartheid oppression.
Thabo MbekiRead
Many of our own people here in this country do not ask about computers, telephones and television sets. They ask - when will we get a road to our village.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of basic infrastructure over advanced technology in developing communities.
Thabo Mbeki highlights a critical aspect of social development, where the needs of marginalized communities often center around fundamental necessities such as roads and transportation rather than modern technology. This statement reflects the disparity in priorities between those who have access to advanced technologies and those who still lack basic infrastructure, advocating for a focus on improving living conditions for all.
Themes
InfrastructureTechnologyDevelopmentCommunityPriorities
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about rural development, one might say, 'As Thabo Mbeki noted, many of our own people here do not ask about computers, but rather about roads to connect their villages.'
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Our experience over the last 20 years has shown that indeed people must themselves become their own liberators. You cannot wait for somebody else to come and rescue you.
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As we mourn President Mandela’s passing we must ask ourselves the fundamental question - what shall we do to respond to the tasks of building a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa, a people-centred society free of hunger, poverty, disease and inequality, as well as Africa’s renaissance, to whose attainment President Nelson Mandela dedicated his whole life?
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Gloom and despondency have never defeated adversity. Trying times need courage and resilience. Our strength as a people is not tested during the best of times.
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