This week’s literacy quote comes from the Language department. They have chosen a quote from former South African president Nelson Mandela.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart”
This quotation from Nelson Mandela is particularly apt as he spoke three languages fluently. His first language was Xhosa, a Nguni Bantu language with click consonants and one of the official languages of South Africa. Nelson Mandela also spoke both English and Afrikaans.
Mandela was elected president of South Africa in 1994 and he remained president until 1999.
He was the first black president of South Africa, and the first president to be elected in a fully representative election.
Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his part in peacefully destroying the Apartheid regime and laying the foundation for democracy.
In addition to the Nobel Peace Prize, he won over 250 other international humanitarian awards.
