Countrymen and women, loyalists and opponents
Join me in celebrating ten years of freedom in the Rainbow nation ? South Africa. Join me to congratulate my good friend and one of the major proponents of the African kneepad (or NEPAD) ? Unsmiling Thabo. But most important of all, I will like us all to celebrate the legacy of the world?s best known freedom fighter, my favourite ?terrorist? ? Nelson Mandela, our one and only Madiba.

The man has grown old and chances are that he might die very soon. I know that God has specially prepared one of the best suites in his five star heavenly beach resorts for him. When he dies, we shall weep and wail but we shall also rejoice for we know that his is a life well lived. Please, don?t misunderstand me. I am not praying for his death. But I am also not praying for him to live longer than he is due because I don?t like to see people grow so hopelessly useless that they cannot control some of their basic human faculties. I don?t know how much longer he will live ? perhaps I might die before Mandela does. So I have decided to break away from the norm and pay tribute to the best African leader I?ve ever known before his dies ? for his forbearance, fortitude, foresight, spirit of forgiveness and his unselfish nature.