US star Oprah Winfrey has urged young South Africans to never give up on their dreams.
She was speaking at an event in South Africa’s famous Soweto township to celebrate the life of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, 100 years after his birth.
In a speech repeatedly punctuated by applause, Winfrey cited Mandela as an inspiration, pointing out that 27 years in prison had denied him the opportunity to raise his children but he had still managed to raise a nation.
She added:
“Sitting at Nelson Mandela’s funeral five years ago I felt like he did not pass away but he was passing through us.
I’m here today to offer a prayer that we all continue to live in his light.”
She recalled that Mr Mandela had once invited her to live with him, saying:
“I got so comfortable with him that we could sit in silence. He was most concerned about poverty and its impact on people’s daily.”
Mandela was South Africa’s first black president, and died in 2013 at the age of 95.
