Quotes

‘I am going to suggest to you that you go back home and you rewrite it and tell your 1 200-an hour lawyers, no disrespect, they're good, but tell them that you want it written in English and not Swahili, so the average American can understand it. That would be a start.’

– US Republican Senator John Kennedy to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Kennedy charged that Facebook's user agreement is too complicated and was created to protect the social network from litigation rather than a means to make users aware of their rights. He was accused of racism for his reference to Swahili.

‘She bandaged our wounds. We did not do the same for her.’

– President Cyril Ramaphosa on Winnie Madikizela-Mandela

'My mother suffered. She had a very difficult life.’

– Zenani Mandela, reflecting on her mother’s life

‘Victory is sure by the grace of God and together we must continue to sanitise Nigeria's political environment.'

– Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who is seeking re-election next year

‘Why should you be appointed over women and black candidates vying for these very same posts who had not had the opportunity to hone their legal skills as sharply as you have as a white male? The simple question is: how do we transform the SCA without weakening its intellectual capacity?’

– South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal President Mandisa Maya questioning Judge Pieter Meyer who has applied for a SCA posting

‘I am on record in this commission. I have said that I believe absolutely in transformation and the only reason why I make myself available is in case there is a slot for me. But that is what the commission needs to decide and I know that you have got a very difficult function‚ to weigh up all the different interests and to decide on who the candidates should be to be appointed‚ but for myself‚ I absolutely believe in transformation.’

– Meyer’s reply