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I am an African

23 September 2021

“I Am an African” was a speech delivered by then-Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki, in Cape Town on 8 May 1996, on the passing of the new Constitution of South Africa.

This speech defined the mood of the moment. This Heritage Day, we quote from the opening sentences to remind ourselves that what was said then, remains so relevant now.

I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas, and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land.

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