Farouk Araie, Benoni The recent death of struggle stalwart Jean Middleton is a sad loss for South Africa.
We are today a free people, worthy of our freedom, and determined to protect this great nation, a nation whose struggles were fought for by people of Middleton's calibre.
She inculcated in the masses the idea that we have to be free to choose our destiny.
Middleton dared to dream the greatest dream of all: a non-racial South Africa.
She was a heroine of epic proportion.
It is said that true heroism is remarkably sober. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.
The ushering in of democracy in South Africa brought moments of great hope and accomplishments.
The path humanity takes leaves precise tracks that we can neither forget nor deny.
These tracks are seared on the flesh and in the memory of those who were the victims of racism before democracy came to South Africa.
For more than 50 years a regime took away that which is most precious to its people, namely its liberty.
Apartheid will remain for all time a South African infamy.
With respect to all this, there is a before and there is an after.
But there is a single truth, and it is the truth of those who, like Middleton, chose liberty and democracy when darkness enveloped South Africa.
It is the truth with which history has entrusted us, which is carved in stone and engraved into our memories, and which no one can overturn or cause to disappear.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.