Yesterday was Nelson Mandela’s birthday and I thought I would wish him a happy birthday. Nelson Mandela is an extraordinary man. He is recognised the world over as a moral authority, and there are not many of them about. Nelson Mandela spent over a third of his life in jail and incredibly he did not harbour any bitterness or unforgiveness towards his captors. After his release he went on to become the president of South Africa and his leadership was truly an inspiration to the world.

I also want to say that Nelson Mandela was once an active member of an organisation that deliberately targeted and killed innocent people. I don’t mention this to detract from his considerable achievements, and they are considerable, but to point out that he is, like all of us, still a flawed human being. I’m sure no one reading this blog has ever plotted to kill people innocent or not.

People change though, and whatever personal journey he was on during his imprisonment, he certainly was a courageous man and courage is a character trait that is just about universally absent in politicians today. Which is a pity, because when someone shows courage, as with Nelson Mandela, amazing things can happen, and it only takes one person.