While reflecting on the remarkable life and legacy of Mandela, I perused some of the many letters he wrote, mainly to family, during his 27-year incarceration. I chanced upon the following apt words of encouragement he wrote to his daughter, Zindzi, on 04 September 1977 – about her decision to take up writing as a career:
‘Writing is a prestigious profession which puts one right into the centre of the world, and to remain on top, one has to work really hard, the aim being a good and original theme, simplicity in expression and the use of the irreplaceable word.’
Nelson Rolihlala Mandela (1918-2013)
