Melinda Gates

Melinda Gates Instagram – Last week in London, I had a very moving and memorable night at #TheAlbies, an event hosted by the @clooneyfoundationforjustice named after the anti-apartheid activist and legal expert Justice Albie Sachs.
 
I met Justice Sachs in 1997 on my first trip to South Africa. 
 
While I was in Johannesburg, I visited Constitution Hill, the infamous prison complex that, over the course of its dark history, held both Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. 
 
A guide walked me through the complex and told me about both the horrors that took place there and the heroism of the men and women who somehow emerged with the courage to continue their fight. 
 
As the day went on, I started trying to draw out more of my guide’s story. He hadn’t said much about himself, but he was willing to answer my questions. 
 
Eventually, he told me about his own activism against the apartheid regime. How he was arrested. Held in solitary confinement. Exiled. Nearly assassinated. How he lost his arm and part of his sight after South African security forces bombed his car—but still returned to South Africa to write equality into the law.
 
It turned out that my guide that day was Justice Albie Sachs himself. 
 
He made an unforgettable impression on me. Frankly, it felt a bit surreal to be receiving an award at an event named for him and sharing a stage with an incredible slate of honorees: Darren Walker, José Rubén Zamora, Fatou Baldeh, and Marty Baron. 
 
Justice Sachs, it was wonderful to see you there. I’m glad I had the chance to give you a hug and tell you that, all these years later, I still look to you as a guide. And thank you, Amal and George, for the important work you do in the world and for shining a light on the brave women and men who are continuing Justice Sachs’ march toward justice. | Posted on 10/Oct/2025 01:03:35