Pretoria - A country is defined by the values of its people, and in today's morally challenging times, it is encouraging to see South Africans collectively rise to the occasion of reconstructing society's moral fibre and good old fashioned Ubuntu.
No other atmosphere would have sufficed except for unity and respect for others in Nelson Mandela metro when a gathering was held to mark the culmination of a successful Moral Regeneration Month campaign.
The campaign is a collaborative effort from various sectors of society aimed at harnessing actions towards developing a caring society through the revival of the spirit of Ubuntu - a word used to describe compassion for others.
"The Moral Regeneration Month highlights the call to the nation to reflect and evaluate our actions and commitment towards building a just, tolerant and moral society for the common good of all humanity," said Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, who addressed those gathered at the celebratory event on Saturday.
Inspired by the life of Nelson Mandela, Moral Regeneration Month takes a leaf out of the book of teachings of the iconic leader to get people to effect the change they want to see in society.
Every year in July, South Africans and people the world over are encouraged to embrace the values Madiba embodies, of doing good to change other people's lives.
This year, Moral Regeneration Month was held under the theme, 'Together, nurturing the good in everyone through the charter of positive values', which Motlanthe said was a fitting tribute to Mandela, who "throughout 67 years, taught us of personal sacrifice and to confront the scourge of poverty, racism, strife and disease with conviction."
Motlanthe thanked people for opening their hearts and contributing 67 minutes of their time during Nelson Mandela's birthday on 18 July.
Despite the challenges South Africa faced, including crime which takes place in homes, schools, communities, the Deputy President commended the spirit of forgiveness, which allowed the nation to move on.
He condemned acts of xenophobia, which created tension and unrest in some of the country's townships.
"We are all born free, with equal dignity, the right to life, shelter, food and security. These are indivisible rights that are afforded everyone, including foreign nationals and asylum seekers who, through no fault of their own, have had to flee to South Africa because of conflict, famine and deteriorating socio-economic conditions in their countries of birth.
"These people, no matter how different they may be from us, belong to the family of humanity and are deserving of our respect and basic human rights," said Motlanthe.
He thanked Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa and the Moral Regeneration Movement Board for helping government with the campaign, and encouraged people to observe good values throughout the year.
