Madiba would be saddened by our inhumanity to each other

“There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.”

That quote by Nelson Mandela is a resounding indictment of how we – many of our people and our government – have strayed from his ideals of service as we strive to get whatever we can, at whatever the cost, often in the most venal manner imaginable.

Expecting something in return is the essence of bribery and corruption, something which has become the motif for South Africa.

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Sadly, looting and its ugly step-sibling, crime, has all but obscured the good work being done every day by good, ordinary South Africans to help their fellow citizens.

On Mandela Day yesterday, some of that giving would have become visible, but other acts of kindness would have been obscured by the bandwagon cynicism of people and brands wanting to make commercial capital out of the icon which is Madiba.

We all need to stop and ask ourselves: would Madiba approve? In many cases, he would not and would be saddened by our inhumanity to each other.

Greed and selfishness are the root of many sins. To be a great nation, we need to rid ourselves of them.