“On Mandela Day people around the world are encouraged to give 67 minutes of their time contributing to something bigger than themselves and make an impact in society. I encourage everyone to think bigger and to contribute more to society on an on-going basis. Let us all try to collaborate more and be more open”.

Mandela Day is celebrated globally each year on the 18^th of July on our late President, Nelson Mandela’s birthday. Mandela spent 67 years of his life fighting for social justice and equal rights for all citizens. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009 and is celebrating its twelfth year in 2021.

We can all learn from the leadership and empathy that President Mandela showed during his life’s journey but let us not confine learning from these lessons and applying them to just 67 minutes every 365 days.

Our world, in South Africa, is an unsettling place right now. While no Mandela Day will ever be completely identical, this year the day and associated drives/events will be vastly different to previous initiatives. We cannot physically assist charities as I have learned SASSETA has done in the past. But we can, when the country settles down in the days to come, initiate our own support for children.

On Mandela Day people around the world are encouraged to give 67 minutes of their time contributing to something bigger than themselves and make an impact in society. I encourage everyone to think bigger and to contribute more to society on an on-going basis. Let us all try to collaborate more and be more open.

Let us keep safe, adhere to COVID19 rules and regulations to prevent the spread of the virus. Eventually, this dire situation will come to an end.