Madiba Day reminds us to contribute to the culture of peace and freedom

The occasion of Mandela Day on July 18 has become a focal point not only of remembering the life of an extraordinary man who led his nation and the world to new heights - but also of calling on all South Africans to do good works for the people of the country.

So great was his impact on South Africa and the world that in November 2009 the UN General Assembly declared July 18 Nelson Mandela International Day in recognition of his "contribution to the culture of peace and freedom".

As someone who had the privilege of working closely with Mandela during the birth of the new South Africa, I am often asked to offer my reflections on the life of this great man.

What first comes to mind is a speech in which he said: "With life it is not important whether you have lived. What is important is whether in leading your own life you have made a difference to the lives of other people. It is only then, when you have made a difference to the lives of other people, that it can be said that your own life has been well lived."

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These words epitomise Mandela. In him South Africans have an example of someone who lived his life in a way that made a difference to the lives of millions.

July 18 is a special day to members of the ANC, the organisation to which Mandela dedicated his life.

The fond and lasting memories I have of my time spent with him are countless.

He stands out as a good example and role model not just for ordinary people but also for the leaders of this country.

Looking back on the period of our political transition, a time fraught with challenges, his courage and fortitude stood out.

It was a difficult period; to some, the problems seemed insurmountable.

But not to uTata. He met challenges head on, leading from the front, but always taking us along with him.

At a time when the nascent democratic government was negotiating the political transition, we were faced with stiff resistance from the Afrikaner right-wing, which included the heavily armed forces of the apartheid military that were not prepared to relinquish power.

And yet we knew, as our leader Mandela told us, that although they presented a real challenge to our revolution and the transition, we had to persuade them to accept, if not embrace, the changes that needed to take place.

It was Mandela who brought them to the negotiating table, sowing the seeds of change, convincing them to accept the ANC's vision of a nonracial, nonsexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.

His example taught us that it is possible to overcome the most difficult moments - even when other South Africans are not very keen to be part of the process of change taking place in the country.

Not many leaders could have confronted such challenges with the ease of Mandela.

Mandela was no ordinary leader.

block_quotes_start He believed that education was the main differentiator, and it was imperative to ensure that the children of our country be well educated block_quotes_end

He was the one person who truly lived the values upon which the ANC was founded, and he articulated the aspirations contained in the Freedom Charter.

He committed his life, his skills, his knowledge and his intellect towards building a nation.

Twenty-two years into democracy, when millions of South Africans enjoy a better life thanks to the policies and programmes of the ANC, we are wont to forget that from his very first day as president, Mandela's biggest challenge as a leader was how to address the issues of poverty, inequality and the many other problems that beset the oppressed masses of our country.

It was largely Mandela who instituted the "disposition of care" that the ANC government introduced to lift millions out of indigence.

I was privileged enough to sit near ringside and see him dealing with that challenge. It was he who inspired and then drove the roll-out of grants to children as a means of alleviating poverty.

I remain deeply inspired by the way Madiba cared for children.

He insisted that we could and should not leave the children who were impoverished by apartheid without care.

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He went beyond loving children, to prioritising the plight of children in the democratic government.

He believed that education was the main differentiator, and it was imperative to ensure that the children of our country be well educated.

It is a tribute to Mandela that, in addition to a vast social security net that provides grants for impoverished children, today we are rolling out an education system markedly different to the apartheid-era education system for black children.

It is a further tribute that the UN Development Programme notes that in South Africa today, "universal primary education is already effectively a reality" - in line with the organisation's millennium development goal for education.

Furthermore, enrolment rates for boys and girls are equally strong, and as the UNDP notes, "where small differences exist, they are in the girl child's favour".

This is precisely what Mandela wanted: that all our children be in school, get a decent education and be cared for.

This is just one of the many examples of the ways in which subsequent ANC governments have continued to build on his legacy of achieving the expectations of our people.

block_quotes_start The ANC has not let the revolution down. What was started years ago by people like Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo and Chris Hani, it has taken steps to try to realise block_quotes_end

Soon after he was elected, Mandela travelled to New York, where he was asked: "Mr Mandela, don't you think your people will lose hope because they have so many expectations and apartheid has set them back so much?"

He answered: "Our people have a deep understanding of where we come from. They have a deep understanding of what apartheid did to them and they also have a forward- looking understanding and expectation of what their government is going to do."

Importantly, he also said: "Our people are going to see us meeting their expectations on an ongoing basis ... that is what is going to give them hope."

We have not disappointed our people. Year by year, day by day, we are realising Mandela's vision.

It is only those who are hugely dishonest who say the ANC has not changed South Africa.

This country is vastly different from the country that we inherited in 1994.

Mandela said at that press conference in New York that the ANC government would work on an ongoing basis to meet the expectations of our people.

Since then, we have rolled out education, built millions of homes, brought electricity to millions of households and ensured that millions of people have access to water and sanitation, enabling them to live lives of dignity.

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Day by day we are eradicating informal settlements and getting people into formal housing, a programme that is ongoing.

Our social welfare net, one of the most extensive in the world, is helping to lift 17million grantees out of poverty - giving them a step up in the world and enabling them to better their lives and those of their families.

It is the ANC that has ensured that nine million pupils are fed every school day - children who often have nothing to eat, before or after school.

This is the disposition of care of Mandela, being carried out by the ANC.

I am confident that this ANC government is doing much to meet the basic needs Mandela spoke of in New York.

Yes, we may not be where we want to be, but we certainly have not been resting on our laurels.

Were Mandela here today, I am sure he would say: "The ANC has not let the revolution down. What was started years ago by people like Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo and Chris Hani, it has taken steps to try to realise."

And we are still going to do much more than we ever envisaged 21 years ago.

The ANC's message, and mine too, on Mandela Day is that as you lead your life every day, try to make a positive and a meaningful impact on the lives of other people.

Ramaphosa is deputy president of the ANC