I write this letter at a time of great anticipation for our country as we commence the new year.
With the expectations of the new Ramaphosa era, I found the international developments of the past few days, with special focus on our president, quite intriguing.
Having attended the annual Davos retreat and the positive impact he made - especially with the international investor community - in an effort to build our economy, he flew into India as a special guest of the Indian president for that country’s 70th Independence ceremony in New Delhi.
I had the fortune to watch it for a while on Indian TV. What an amazing spectacle. A show of culture, military power, art, music and horse parades, etc, to thousands who lined the streets of the Indian capital very much like an international event in front of Buckingham Palace.
There was no doubt in my mind that the event had the millions of Indians stand united on that milestone day.
And I thought of our beloved country
How many of us even know the second line (not second verse) of the national anthem?
This event in India made me more committed than ever to promote the values of nation-building and patriotism.
I thought, as I was watching, what a wonderful national asset we have in the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town like the Indians do at the Red Fort in Delhi where they have a sound and light show showcasing the history of India.
Why can’t we have something similar at the Castle depicting our history - and what a history we have - from (Jan) Van Riebeeck to Mandela, from the sordid days of colonialism to the rainbow nation - a miracle which is the envy of many nations. I hope the president had time to reflect similarly.