Elma Nel, councillor of ward 58, has decided to change the way Pretoria views charity, specifically for Mandela Day.
“Every year we are commited to spend 67 minutes for a good cause. Considering a year consists of 525 600 minutes, l honestly think it is barely enough and should become a daily commitment instead of an annual event. My constituency is planning a 67 minute clean-up event on Saturday, which l will attend, but l intend to take it a little bit further,” Nel said.
To commemorate Mandela Day, Nel has decided to spend some quality time with roughly 500 people, not to help them with any specific problem, but rather to take the time to get to really know the people she helps all year round.
“As a councillor l spend most of my time addressing problems in Ward 58 and I decided that l want to dedicate my whole day to ‘me time’ for residents in my ward. I will be accompanied by my mom, Christine Lomas, as well as fellow councillors and GPF members. We will be handing out 500 slices of cake and will have tea with everyone – from preschoolers to pensioners. In this way, we want to sit down and hear all the wonderful stories and memories left untold in so many hearts,” Nel said.
Their stops for the day include the pensioners’ flats in Capital Park, Die Bokkie-kinders in Arcadia and the Emily Hobhouse residence in Capital Park.
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