Premier urges the public to embrace Madiba’s values
The Mpumalanga premier, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, has urged communities to embrace the values espoused by former president Nelson Mandela.
This is as the country marked July 18, Nelson Mandela International Day.
Mtshweni-Tsipane said Mpumalanga and the rest of the country had reason to commemorate Madiba in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic and other social ills.
She said Mandela’s dedication of 67 years of his life in service to his people should serve as a beacon of hope for all to emulate.
“The people of the Rising Sun joined the rest of the country and indeed the world in commemorating the indomitable legacy of uTata Nelson Mandela. We urged the people of Mpumalanga to dedicate their 67 minutes of service to advocate for volunteerism, protection, donation of food and helping the needy. In this way we would have kept Madiba’s legacy alive,” she said.
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It has been eight years since Mandela passed on and the commemoration of his birthday has become a rallying point for South Africans and the world to rekindle the values he stood for – peace, reconciliation, unity and humanity. The commemoration came a few days after South Africa experienced a wave of vandalism, accompanied by violence, which left businesses and properties destroyed and scores of people dead.
Reflecting on these events, MtshweniTsipane said vandalism and destruction of business properties are a setback for the country’s pathway towards the realisation of Mandela’s values.
She said such barbaric acts would have caused Mandela to ask whether South Africans have written the obituary of poverty, ignorance and sorrow. She commended citizens who bravely protected businesses against looting and arson.
“Mandela would have said that it is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build our communities. We urge the people of Mpumalanga to continue to advocate against looting and wanton destruction of infrastructure. In this way the legacy of Mandela will be kept alive. And that will be your 67 minutes as we commemorate Mandela and his values,” she added
