"A saint is a sinner who got up and walked"

, are the measured words of Nelson Mandela according to his wife, Graca Machel. As mankind's moral compass, Madiba inspires us to seek out the humanity that lies within us all. Obviously, some people need more persuading than others, but the manner in which he lives his life without rancor, despite the trials and tribulations he endured, is a salutary lesson for us all.

I think it was JFK who said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" and didn't Madiba do for South African and then some!! He sacrificed his family, his health and his middle ages. Having seen his cell on Robben Island, I wondered how he had managed to stay sane through the dark times. We visited the quarry where he had to dig limestone and even though we were in a bus with tinted the windows, the glare off the rocks was very apparent - the damage to his eyes is testament to that. But throughout it all, he maintained the dignity of his royal lineage as his oppressors sought to demean him and his people.

Last night, in Berlin, we were honoured to be addressed by Denis Goldberg, Madiba's comrade-in-arms and who also endured a lengthy spell of incarceration. The evening ended with a showing of the film, Drum, and even the rain that fell as the credits rolled could not put a dampener on things.

To the man who continues to challenge us to seek out the good within ourselves and who even in his twilight years persists in illuminating a world that is morally and ethically bankrupt,

HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY Madiba!!