Latest news with #Mandela
The Citizen
6 hours ago
- General
- The Citizen
Municipalities celebrate Mandela Day by carrying out community service initiatives
ERMELO – As the world prepared to honour Nelson Mandela's legacy on his birthday, July 18, Mpumalanga geared up to mark the occasion with a wide range of community service initiatives across all 17 local municipalities. The Mpumalanga premier, Mandla Ndlovu, issued a directive that Mandela Day activities be rolled out in various wards across the province, emphasising the importance of active community involvement. He called on residents to play their part in addressing the challenges faced by underprivileged communities. This year's Mandela Day theme, 'It's still in our hands to combat poverty and inequality,' encourages renewed efforts to confront persistent social and economic challenges. ALSO READ: OPINION: Officials pledge 67 minutes of doing their job It calls on individuals to help build a fairer and more just society. Premier Ndlovu, together with Msukaligwa executive mayor Mapule Nkosi and local councillors, pledged to spend 67 minutes repairing damaged roads in selected streets. The gesture aligns with the international campaign that encourages people to devote 67 minutes of service – symbolising the 67 years Mandela dedicated to public life – to meaningful acts of community upliftment. Additional activities included painting public buildings, repairing water and sanitation infrastructure, and distributing food to vulnerable residents. Local leaders, councillors and community members were urged to unite in service to demonstrate their commitment to Mandela's values of dignity, justice and compassion. Premier Ndlovu said these collective efforts reflect the Mpumalanga Government's commitment to humanitarian service, and its continued resolve to uphold Mandela's legacy by tackling poverty and inequality in the province. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
8 hours ago
- General
- The Citizen
Mandela Day brings lasting impact to Eldorado Park special needs centre
In honour of Nelson Mandela Day, Jicama 89, an NPO dedicated to resource development for special needs schools, hosted an impactful day of giving at the Harvey Cohen Centre (HCC) for Learners with Special Educational Needs in Ext 6, Eldorado Park. Jicama 89 partnered with International Gaming Technology and Lancet Laboratories to give the centre a fresh look. The day was filled with activities aimed at uplifting learners, ranging from painting the school's interiors to providing warm meals. ALSO READ: Local netball club celebrates Mandela day in style The initiative was led by Kaylin Everton, director of operations for Jicama 89, who emphasised that supporting schools like HCC is not just a once-off event but part of the organisation's ongoing commitment. 'This is not something that just happens on Mandela Day. For us, it is a continuous effort. HCC is one of our beneficiary schools, and it's our responsibility to show up for them,' said Everton. Jicama 89 supports three institutions, including Sibonile School for the Blind, Isizwe Sechaba Special School and HCC, sourcing donations that range from food and chemicals to infrastructure repairs and mobility aids. While Mandela Day brought public focus to the organisation's work, Everton stressed that their goal goes far beyond symbolic acts. ALSO READ: Foundation marks Mandela Day by championing health matters 'We aim to integrate these children into society and ensure they have the same opportunities as any other child. We do not see disabilities, we see ability, potential, and value,' she added. The impact of the partnership was visible at the HCC Centre. From fresh paint donated by Universal Paints to roofing and ceiling repairs contributed by IGT, the collaborative effort turned the day into something meaningful. 'IGT saw the leaking roof and did not hesitate; they fixed it and replaced the damaged ceiling boards. This means our kids will now be safer and warmer, especially in winter,' said Everton. The principal, Cheryl Scott, cited that the timing was perfect as the school had challenges with a leaking roof at the hostels. 'We are grateful for the support as we celebrate a great man. I want to brag because Madiba was on these grounds in April 1999, and we continue to commemorate him. We are blessed by the companies that made a difference.'She said the school is facing financial challenges due to funding cuts. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Glow of Mandela Day is dimming in a harsher world
Twelve years after his death, Mandela's legacy risks being reduced to performative charity and forgotten T-shirts. Youngsters from the central Johannesburg community drink some water as they queue for food, while wearing their 67 Blankets For Nelson Mandela Day donations of scarves and beanies, 18 July 2025. The distribution forms part of the annual Nelson Mandela Day initiative. Scarves, knitted by volunteers across South Africa, were distributed at Port Plein Park and were available for anyone to help themselves. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen It was in 2009 that the call to do 67 minutes for Mandela on the great man's birthday, 18 July, first sounded. It seemed a bizarre number, hardly long enough to paint a classroom, much less tend a food garden but perfect if you were packing food – or posing for a pic in the local newspaper. And there was plenty of that. Mandela Day became the bane of every newspaper editor and news editor in the country, from the big mainstream dailies to the knockand-drops, with secretaries and PRs demanding coverage. It was ubiquitous. People even summited Kilimanjaro on Madiba's birthday, ostensibly to keep the girl in school by drawing attention to the dearth of sanitary products that would keep girls at home, rather than face the embarrassment of being in class during their period. ALSO READ: Gauteng Hospitals achieve record 806 surgeries on Mandela Day Much of the public displays of piety, charity and Ubuntu were performative and public – flying right in the face of the Good Book's injunction to keep alms deeds private. But much of it was real. The glow might have faded from the faces of school kids when the celebs left and the TV camera lights were doused, but at least they were left with (delete as applicable) new libraries/ painted classrooms/planted food gardens/JoJo tanks/new shoes/ stationery kits. Mandela has been gone 12 years, come December, and the momentum for 67 minutes, codified to represent a minute for each year of his life that he dedicated to public service, seems to have stuttered a bit. There are still the old stagers drawn like fading moths to the guttering candle light of a pic in the local newspaper (or self-published on LinkedIn and cross-pollinated by eager staffers on their Facebook and X accounts), but the wave that was once a tsunami of self-congratulation certainly seems to have ebbed. ALSO READ: Mlindo The Vocalist releases his long-awaited album on Mandela Day as a way of 'giving back' It's a pity. It doesn't matter what the motivation was to take part in Mandela Day – and literally getting the T-shirt – the recipients benefited. But it's not surprising if less good works are being done, because the world is a far harsher, crueller place than it was in Madiba's day. It's manifestly more selfish and graphically more unequal and the vulnerable are at even greater risk. You don't even see people wearing their Mandela Day T-shirts any more – even if it is just once a year. We are poorer for that – all of us. Tata Madiba deserved better. NOW READ: WATCH: Pandor calls on world leaders to be good 'troublemakers' like Madiba
The South African
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The South African
Gogo tricks bestie with Mandela prank, leaves Mzansi in stitches
Viral videos never seem to dry up on the World Wide Web. Isn't it wild how there's always something bizarre or hilarious making the rounds? From people surfing shopping trolleys on highways to cringeworthy challenge fails, the Internet never stops surprising us. The latest viral sensation has grabbed the attention of millions, racking up likes and shares all over social media. Today's Eish Wena segment features a grandmother pranking her best friend, claiming she missed Nelson Mandela. Watch the video below @athah_m_ Oh I love this friendship 🥹❤️🩹I asked my granny to prank her bestie and say she misses Mandela 😂#prank #callprank #athah_m_ #fyp #prankcalls ♬ QKThr – Aphex Twin Need your news quickly? Visit The South African website for all you need to know. Enjoy a wide variety of videos from news, lifestyle, travel, sports, viral videos and lots more! There is always something to watch here! Why not follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok while you're at it? Get ALL the news you need to know on the go at your convenience! Submit your videos for a chance to be featured in the daily Viral Video article and get your name mentioned. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Students vow to continue Madiba's fight for free education
On Mandela Day, Friday, July 18, over 180 students gathered in the Tshwane metro, not just to honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela, but to confront the reality that many of his dreams for South Africa remain unfulfilled. Hosted by the Office of the MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, in partnership with SRCs and youth leadership forums, the student colloquium offered a blend of history, dialogue, and activism. Students were taken on tours of the Old Ou Raadsaal Building and the Palace of Justice, where the group of students could gain glimpses into pivotal moments in South African history. The students saw the cell where the nine ANC and Umkhonto we Sizwe leaders were held during the Rivonia Trial , the courtroom where they were sentenced in and even the original Freedom Charter written on the cell walls. After the tours, the programme included keynote addresses from city officials and student leaders, as well as interactive panel discussions, and key resolutions aimed at transforming the student experience in Tshwane. While many students felt Mandela Day should still be recognised, the South Africa he had envisioned however is a far cry from the reality that Tshwane students face today. 'Mandela is a very prominent figure to us because he fought for free education in this country. So, we as students must carry on that fight. We're going to fight for free education, because to this day we have not seen that,' said Tandazo Seoko, TUT Pretoria Campus's SRC President. 'All of us are still struggling with unemployment, and a lot of us are still struggling with student accommodation and funding. We must take our spears and fight these struggles. Mandela has fought, but it's still up to us as the youth to carry on. 'As student activists, we are still struggling with funding. This is not even a TUT or Tshwane-specific thing; it's all over. A majority of students are defunded and have no backing to pay for tuition fees. Till today, our students are struggling to find spaces in higher education, our government must implement plans to bring higher education to more students,' Seoko said. Beshley Disoloane from TUT's Soshanguve campus said the metro's water woes are making life difficult for students and shared similar sentiments regarding the need for more funding. 'Water interruption affects the campus's daily activities. Students now have to be at home because on campus, there's no access to clean running water. We're provided with mobile toilets, but they aren't enough to accommodate the students. Additionally, there are only two JoJo tanks on campus, which are meant to accommodate over 1 000 students, and the maintenance is nonexistent, too. Safety is also another big issue, students get robbed daily. 'We want the City of Tshwane, especially, to consider that during these dialogues and commemoration. You can't say that students get robbed and killed because we go to parties, when they know which are the hotspots where drug dealers and criminals operate in our area,' Disoloane said. Disoloane said commemorating Mandela Day carries little meaning when students and young people are still subjected to economic inequality. He believes that until students are safe and can study for free, Madiba's legacy won't be fulfilled. 'Young people come to this province, come to this city, to study. The government must introduce measures to address the crime affecting students. We don't trust our government; there's no point. All political parties speak the same language, promising everything, but on the ground, nothing changes,' Disoloane said. Teryl Mazwai said it's still important to celebrate Mandela Day to know where we come from and never take the freedom we enjoy for granted. 'Decades have gone by, and people have forgotten how we got to the place we're in now. So I think it's really important to learn about the struggles that freedom fighters went through to enjoy what we have now,' Mazwai said. Mazwai said she felt a deeper connection to the country's history after the tour. 'One spot that really took me back was the holding cells. It was really dark, it's a dark place, you could see that people who were kept in there were not okay. They were thinking about their families and wanted to be free. I think it's a good thing that they preserved the walls because it's good to see all the writings. The handprints also took me back because they show, at least for me, that they were going through a lot of mental torment,' Mazwai said. She said tuition fees are a great hindrance in the pursuit of education for many students, especially as most come from disadvantaged backgrounds. She said getting accepted alone is a feat, but maintaining fees and other expenses leave students destitute, and more governmental interventions are needed. To honour Mandela Day, she said more initiatives such as the colloquium should be held to ensure the youth never forget the country's history. 'I think more things like today are needed, more tours and educate us more on how we got to where we are now, let us not forget where we come from,' Mazawi said. After holding panel discussions and addresses at Tshwane House, the day ended with a pledge wall signing. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
