South Africans honour Madiba

South Africans are today dedicating 67 minutes to do good on what would have been the late former President Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday.

The year 2018 marks the centenary of the birth of Madiba. South Africa, including the continent and the international community at large, is celebrating and honouring the struggle stalwart.

President Cyril Ramaphosa led the nation in remembering Mandela, he was in Mvezo in the Eastern Cape where the father of the nation was born. 

The Mvezo celebrations are organised by the Royal House of Mandela in partnership with the Universal Peace Federation and the Eastern Cape Provincial Government. President Ramaphosa was accompanied by Cabinet Ministers, members of the provincial executive council and senior government officials.

President Ramaphosa handed out blankets to elderly citizens, bicycles to learners and officially opened a clinic.

The activities also included the unveiling of a sanitary towel project, as well as a tree-planting ceremony.

Social media has been abuzz with different people doing their part in honouring the legacy of Mandela.

@GailLutz1 said, “I will be sorting out old clothes to go to our community recycler and dropping some toiletries at a baby haven in the Randburg area.”

@20tumzaza also said “I do Mandela day everyday. Tomorrow I will be giving young girls sanitary towels this will be followed by going to a clinic and planting trees.”

While @seweal_langeni on the other hand indicated that he she was part of a group that packaged meals to be distributed to schools for her #67minutes.

@OmphemetseMere said, “For my #67Minutes I emptied my neighbours dustbins. It’s not much but I know that I have done something.”

Government departments also did their parts in honour of the struggle stalwart.

‏The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development twitted, “Come visit us at the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate Court where we offering free legal advice and access to justice services.”

Communications Minister Nomvulo Mokonyane and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Willies Mchunu commemorated #MandelaDay in Pietermaritzburg at Manaye Hall in Mbali the last place where Tata gave his speech as a free man. The delegation also visited various children’s homes in the area and the Mandela capture site in Howick.

Minister of Police Bheki Cele and National Commissioner General Khehla Sitole made a surprise visit at Sunnyside police station in Pretoria to check on compliance and whether the code of ethics is being adhered to by members at station level.

Deputy President David Mabuza also handed over newly-built houses to seven families in a partnership between government and Standard Bank to restore dignity to the community of Amsterdam in Mpumalanga.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, former US President Barack Obama delivered the 16th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg, where he called on the world -- with emphasis on the youth -- to keep the torch of Nelson Mandela’s legacy burning.