In this powerful and deeply reflective speech delivered at Nelson Mandela University, former South African President Thabo Mbeki confronts one of the most urgent challenges facing South Africa today: the loss of historical confidence among young black South Africans.
Mbeki recounts a moving story of four Johannesburg high school students who approached the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, expressing despair that history has taught them only one thing; that “black people always fail.” From slavery to colonialism to apartheid, these students saw a pattern of oppression and defeat, leaving them demotivated and hopeless about South Africa’s future.
In response, Mbeki delivers a profound message: our history is not only a story of oppression. It is also a story of victory, resilience, and brilliance. He illustrates this by recounting the story of Haiti, the world’s first Black republic, where African slaves defeated three European empires, the British, the Spanish, and the French, to achieve freedom in 1804. This, Mbeki argues, is the kind of history that must be taught to South Africa’s youth: a history that inspires confidence, dignity, and the belief that African people are bound to succeed.
Reflecting on 30 years of South African democracy, Mbeki acknowledges the crises that grip the nation; economic instability, political dysfunction, corruption, crime, and social division. Yet, rather than despair, he calls for a national dialogue and a revival of intellectual leadership. According to Mbeki, the true responsibility for South Africa’s renewal lies not with politicians, but with the intelligentsia; the thinkers, educators, and cultural leaders who must provide the ideas and moral vision to guide the nation forward.
“The politicians are not thought leaders. I don’t know what they lead,” Mbeki says. “It is the intelligentsia that must play the role of thought leadership, to answer the question: what is to be done?”
Thabo Mbeki’s speech is both a challenge and an inspiration, a call to action for young people, educators, and intellectuals to reclaim Africa’s story and rebuild South Africa on foundations of truth, confidence, and collective purpose.
Key Takeaways & Themes:
• The importance of rewriting African history from a place of pride
• Youth empowerment through historical truth and education
• The role of the intelligentsia in shaping South Africa’s future
• Haiti and the untold triumphs of African people
• Thabo Mbeki’s reflections on 30 years of democracy
• A call for national dialogue and leadership renewal
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