God, Mandela, a poet and a newspaper

QUOTES from God, Nelson Mandela, Shakespeare, Afrikaans poet Ingrid Jonker and Business Day newspaper were all used by President Thabo Mbeki on Friday to illustrate points in his State of the Nation address.

Known for a fondness of quoting from literature, the president read from the biblical book of Isaiah to portray his optimism about what has been achieved in South Africa since 1994. “I feel emboldened to appropriate for our people the promise contained in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, when God said: ‘For you shall go out with joy, And be led out in peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees and the field shall clap their hands.Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree…’.”The phrase was quoted three times and in two languages.Mbeki cited his predecessor several times in his 7 800-word speech, and even quoted Mandela quoting the poetry of Jonker.- Nampa-Sapa”I feel emboldened to appropriate for our people the promise contained in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, when God said: ‘For you shall go out with joy, And be led out in peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees and the field shall clap their hands.Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree…’.”The phrase was quoted three times and in two languages.Mbeki cited his predecessor several times in his 7 800-word speech, and even quoted Mandela quoting the poetry of Jonker. – Nampa-Sapa