“It is not my questions that embarrass South Africa; it is your answers.”

— Helen Suzman

As quoted in "About Helen Suzman" https://web.archive.org/web/20070927230210/http://www.hsf.org.za/shelen2.asp (February 2004), by David Welsh, South Africa: The Helen Suzman Foundation, p. 2

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Helen Suzman 11

South African politician 1917–2009

Buddy Wakefield (1974) American poet

Thin Ice
Poetry

“My fellow South Africans — the people of South Africa:
This is indeed a joyous night.”

Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) President of South Africa, anti-apartheid activist

1990s, Victory speech (1994)
Context: My fellow South Africans — the people of South Africa:
This is indeed a joyous night. Although not yet final, we have received the provisional results of the election, and are delighted by the overwhelming support for the African National Congress.
To all those in the African National Congress and the democratic movement who worked so hard these last few days and through these many decades, I thank you and honour you. To the people of South Africa and the world who are watching: this a joyous night for the human spirit. This is your victory too. You helped end apartheid, you stood with us through the transition.

“My grandpa always said asking a question is embarrassing for a moment, but not asking is embarrassing for a lifetime.”

Haruki Murakami book Kafka on the Shore

Source: Kafka on the Shore

“Mugabe has destroyed that country while South Africa has stood by and done nothing. The way Mugabe was feted at the inauguration last month was an embarrassing disgrace. But it served well to illustrate very clearly Mbeki's point of view.”

Helen Suzman (1917–2009) South African politician

As quoted in "Democracy? It was better under apartheid, says Helen Suzman" https://web.archive.org/web/20120901223952/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1462042/Democracy-It-was-better-under-apartheid-says-Helen-Suzman.html (15 May 2004), by Jane Flanagan, The Telegraph
2000s

“The questions we face today -- how to promote equality and justice; how to uphold freedom and human rights; how to end conflict and sectarian war -- these things do not have easy answers. But there were no easy answers in front of that child born in World War I. Nelson Mandela reminds us that it always seems impossible until it is done. South Africa shows that is true. South Africa shows we can change, that we can choose a world defined not by our differences, but by our common hopes. We can choose a world defined not by conflict, but by peace and justice and opportunity.”

Barack Obama (1961) 44th President of the United States of America

2013, Eulogy of Nelson Mandela (December 2013)

“South Africa is not a jellyfish and is in many respects a swordfish.”

P. W. Botha (1916–2006) South African prime minister

Speaking to the House of Assembly on 28 April 1986, as cited by Andrew Donaldson, Sunday Times, 5 November 2006

“I think South Africa is a great country.”

Elon Musk (1971) South African-born American entrepreneur

Source: Conversation: Elon Musk on Wired Science (2007)

“We do not want chaos in South Africa.”

P. W. Botha (1916–2006) South African prime minister

Explaining why cinemas were not open to all races, House of Assembly, April 21, 1983, as cited by Andrew Donaldson, Sunday Times, 5 November 2006

“One of the reasons I am so pleased to be in Israel is as a tribute to the enormous contribution of the Jewish community of South Africa [to South Africa]. I am so proud of them.”

Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) President of South Africa, anti-apartheid activist

Suzanne Belling, "Mandela bears message of peace in first visit to Israel", http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/12309/edition_id/237/format/html/displaystory.html jweekly.com, 22 October 1999
Attributed

“I've had a great time in South America and South Africa. Indeed it now seems that on this pair of wild hot continents I've enjoyed the most fruitful year of my life.”

John Muir (1838–1914) Scottish-born American naturalist and author

letter to William Colby (4 February 1912); published in " John Muir — President of the Sierra Club http://archive.org/stream/sierraclubbullet1019sier#page/n17/mode/2up", by William E. Colby, Sierra Club Bulletin, volume 10, number 1 (John Muir Memorial Issue, January 1916) pages 2-7 (at page 6); and in John Muir's Last Journey, edited by Michael P. Branch (Island Press, 2001), page 160
1910s

“It is not my questions that embarrass South Africa; it is your answers.”

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Helen Suzman 11

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