Premium: Mashaba’s idea whose time has come

The French have blessed society with many good things – amazing food and wine, a beautiful language, classy fashion and superb cars among the most obvious. Perhaps that nation's greatest gift to mankind, however, are its writers and philosophers, whose words have lived long outlived them.

Among the greatest of these gifts is poet and novelist Victor Hugo. His novels, headed by the classics Les Miserables and Hunchback of Notre Dame have enthralled tens of millions all over the world. But he also left us with many reflective quotes.

My absolute Hugo favourite is: "Nothing else in the world … not all the armies … is so powerful as an idea whose time has come." It's a one-liner which may well have been adopted by entrepreneur-turned-politician Herman Mashaba.

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