In South Africa, Nelson Mandela is honored every year on July 18, the birthday of the former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. On Mandela Day, people around the world are encouraged to help build a more just society.
South Africa's anti-apartheid hero fought against discrimination based on skin color and ethnicity. Yet three decades after the end of apartheid, many Africans in South Africa still face xenophobia, rejection and violence.
Competition for jobs
"We live in a world where many young people feel hopeless because opportunities are limited, and frustrations are easily directed at foreigners, who are often seen as competitors for jobs," said Mpho Tsotetsi, a 32-year-old South African social worker who lives in a township near Johannesburg.
Nevertheless, she does not see Mandela's dream as shattered forever, but admits it has been challenged. "Mandela envisioned a South Africa built on reconciliation, respect for human dignity, and African solidarity," Tsotetsi told DW.
