13/12/2013 Newsround

This week South Africa has lost an icon. I have travelled here to see

what kind of nation has been left behind for the children of South

Africa. My journey begins here in Soweto when Nelson Mandela lived for

much of his life. For children of all ages, Nelson Mandela is seen as

a true hero, an inspiring figure who did so much to improve South

Africa. For many he is known as the father of the nation and he ended a

racist system which treated white and black people differently. Today

I have come to meet some kids who have plenty to say about the beloved

Mandela. The Soweto Orchestra are rehearsing

for the next performance. This week thoughts turn to Mandela. I see him

as a global icon. Partly because he symbolises peace. I think he is one

of the foremost brilliant people I have ever seen. The most humble soul

that has ever walked the planet. It is because of him that I am able to

sit here and talk to you. If you want to look up to someone, you must

look up to him because he liberated us. What we have now is because of

him. What do you think about the future of South Africa without

Nelson Mandela? It is going to be hard. But I think a lot of things

will change. Today they are enjoying their freedom. But Soweto was once

in the middle of the battle to end the racist system called apartheid.

Under that system, black people were treated much worse and had far fewer

rights than white people. While Nelson Mandela was in prison, black

people fought the white rulers of South Africa and children were

caught up in it. One of those kids was this man who has come to tell me

what it was like growing up during that time. The police came one night

and they shot a canister of tear gas. I remember waking up with a

burning sensation. That was my first experience of this thing called

apartheid. He showed me this special pass that lack people needed to get

around. They called it the stupid pass. If you were stopped by the

police and he did not have this book, you were thrown into jail.

Nelson Mandela's greatest achievement, breaking apartheid,

gave many young black South Africans the chance of a better future. I

have come to Johannesburg to meet someone who took the opportunity

Mandela gave her. This woman is a successful businesswoman, something

that would have been almost impossible under apartheid. She was

lucky enough to meet Martha Mandela -- Nelson Mandela as a teenager. He

was relaxed friendly, he smiled. He was so human. Although we knew this

day would come, you are never prepared for it. I think we have had

the most incredible example. It is now in our hands. Despite all of

Mandela's achievements, many young black people in South Africa are

growing up in poverty. There is still a big slip between the people

who live in the townships and the white children who live just a short

drive away -- big split. In this youth centre, boys and girls have a

chance to have fun in the same place. The worries are never far

away. Our life is complicated because sometimes the electricity

goes off. We cannot iron our school clothes. We cannot do our breakfast.

Now we go to school without eating. What do you want to see happen to

Cape Town? Give us houses and better energy. Do you think you will get

that any time soon? No. People want electricity and houses but the

people they voted for did not give it to them. That is the problem. No

one in charge of this country since the end of apartheid has been able

to turn things around for kids in places like this. I am now in an

upmarket part of Johannesburg which is predominantly a white area. I

want to find out what Nelson Mandela means to young white South Africans.

At this cricket match, the boys have renamed their team in honour of the

late president. What did Nelson Mandela mean to you? He was one of

the best people in the world. He is just amazing. It doesn't matter what

race you are, that is why we are called the rainbow nation. It

doesn't matter what colour scheme you have. Do you think still more

needs to be done to improve South Africa? There is still a lot of

racism. Now that he has died, I think South Africa will come more as

a country and be more together. The people of South Africa are about to

say their final goodbye to Nelson Mandela. The man who changed their

country and the world for the better. But as Nelson Mandela

himself once said, the true character of a society can be

revealed in the way it treats its children. South Africa still has

some way to go before his dream can become reality.