Cape Town - The doom and gloom that often fills our news pages has made it rather easy for us South Africans to forget the reasons why we are such a resilient nation.
Power cuts, the rising cost of living, corruption and, most recently, the Russian arms saga have tainted our nation’s image.
But Musa Motha, the South African-born amputee dancer flying our flag high on Britain’s Got Talent with his thrilling contemporary dance piece, is a reminder of why we are proudly South African.
For those readers not familiar with him, the 27-year-old from Sebokeng in Gauteng lost his leg after he was diagnosed with childhood cancer. He told the judges that it was his friends who taught and introduced him to dancing.
Although the childhood setback meant he would not be able to fulfil his dreams of being a professional football player, Motha has not allowed his disability to prevent him from reaching for the stars.
That was evident when English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell, one of Britain’s Got Talent judges, remarked after watching him perform: “That was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in all the years I’ve done this show.”
Motha’s performance not only earned him a special golden buzzer, he has also made it through to the grand final. We congratulate Motha for such an amazing achievement and for believing in himself. His inspiring story has not only touched us here at home but the rest of the world.
There are many Motha’s out there in our communities who have never dreamed of standing on such platforms, let alone performing for millions of people across the world.
All our efforts should be directed towards finding and nurturing their talents.
Motha’s story should remind us of the things that make us unique as South Africans. We do not accept defeat, even when the odds are heavily stacked against us.
His story is a practical reason we should invest in the youth, especially those from disadvantaged communities.
We could not agree more with him: “This is a perfect time for me to reach out and inspire more people”.
Certainly, he has achieved that goal!
Cape Times