Mr. Speaker, I am honoured and delighted to welcome a great man to our nation's capital today, the President of South Africa, the Hon. Nelson Mandela.
President Mandela is a living symbol of the power of the human spirit and a true modern day hero. Nelson Mandela has fought and stood by his strong beliefs in fundamental human rights, the right to dignity, freedom and equality that we all cherish as Canadians.
His courage to challenge the injustices of the oppressive system of apartheid in South Africa cannot be understated. Like many Canadians such as Sherona Hall and other ANC supporters, I spent my youthful years in anti-apartheid support activities.
Today we are all bursting with pride as under President Mandela's leadership South Africa is making a peaceful transition into a democratic society that respects the rights of all its citizens.
Nelson Mandela will go down in history as one of the stalwarts of the 20th century.
Mr. Mandela, thank you for making South Africa and the world a better place. Canadians are proud that today you walked among us.