No need to cry for our beloved country!

Celebrations on May 25th, crowned as Africa Day, recite the annual commemorations of Africa’s independence, freedom and liberation strife from colonial imperialists. The reinforcement of this liberation was the first union of African countries on African soil; the foundation of the regional integration body; the Organisation of the African Unity (OAU) on May 25, 1963, which 38 years later, evolved into the African Union (AU).  Today, the continental organisation celebrates 54 years of determined efforts for unity among the African people, and socioeconomic freedom from foreign dominion and exploitation – we take you down memory lane and celebrate 5 Africans who are an inspiration to all.

Patrick Njoroge  
When Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed Patrick Njoroge as central bank governor, he was relatively unknown, so the president was criticized over his choice. But getting to know Njoroge changed everything. What struck Kenyans was not his PhD in Economics. It was also not his years of experience working for global lender International Monetary Fund (IMF). What was captivating for most Kenyans was his modest lifestyle. Who rejects the perks of public office? Patrick Njoroge said no to three official cars and a palatial apartment.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
South Africa is not always tolerant of women, according to findings by the United Nations, but the brave women of the country have found a way to become relevant despite cultural constraints impeding their growth. Today, South Africa has one of the highest proportion of female parliamentarians in the world and Dlamini-Zuma occupies the top office at the African Union, the first woman to do so..

Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)
You don’t get more famous than Mandiba. Nelson Mandela was the Father of the Nation, revered as a God. Mandela was the first black president and the first democratically elected president of South Africa in 1994. Words can’t praise him enough. Absolute hero.

Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu rose to fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. He became the first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town and is one of the most recognised figures in religion worldwide. Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2005. He has done loads to promote world peace, hence the mention.

Trevor Noah
Noah is fast becoming one of Africa’s best exports with his exploits at the American news satire television program The Daily Show, succeeding Jon Stewart who hosted the show until 2015 from 1999. The South African’s mixed-race heritage, his experiences growing up in a Soweto township, and his observations about race and ethnicity are leading themes in his comedy which has won him several accolades. While his audience figures are down from Stewart’s, Comedy Central says Trevor is attracting a more ‘millennial’ audience, which is a good thing.

History has made us a force to be reckoned with and we as Africans and South Africans can be exceptionally proud how far we have come!