Children, education & freedom: Ten quotes from former president Nelson Mandela

On Thursday, the world commemorates the life of Nelson Mandela, who would have turned 101 this year. Mandela was born on July 18 1918 in the village of Mvezo, in the Eastern Cape.

Six years after his death on December 5 2013, South Africans are remembering Mandela's ideals on children, freedom and education.

Here are 10 quotes from the former president:

Children

"Children must, at last, play in the veld, no longer tortured by the pangs of hunger or ravaged by disease, or threatened with the scourge of ignorance, molestation and abuse, and no longer be required to engage in deeds whose gravity exceeds the demands of their tender years."

Love, tolerance

"No one is born hating another person because of the colour of their skin or background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."

Education

"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world."

Freedom

"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal I hope to live for, and to see realised. But my Lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

Making a difference

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made in the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead."

Courage

"It always seems impossible until it's done."

Physical wellness

"I have always believed that exercise is key to not only physical wellness, but to peace of mind."

Apartheid

"In Natal, apartheid is a deadly cancer in our midst, setting house against house and eating away at the precious ties that bound us together. The strife among ourselves wastes our energy and destroys our unity. My message for those who are involved in this battle of brother against brother is this: take your guns, your knives and your pangas and throw them into the sea! Close down the death factories. End this war now!"

We don't hate whites

"We are not anti-white, we are against white supremacy ... we have condemned racialism, no matter by whom it is professed."

Forgiveness

"South Africans must recall the terrible past so we can deal with it, forgiving where forgiveness is necessary, but never forgetting."