Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo commemorates Mandela Day
This visit was very significant in celebrating the life of Madiba because the Champion or Mandela Tree and the Garden of Remembrance were declared an official heritage site by the Gauteng Provincial Heritage Resources Authority.
The Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) commemorated Mandela Day by visiting the Champion Tree after 16 years since President Nelson Mandela planted the tree in Thokoza Park.
The visit in commemoration of International Mandela Day was held at Thokoza Park in Rockville on July 17 right before the actual day of celebrating the legend.
This was done as a launch of many other celebrations JCPZ was going to hold on Mandela Day.
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This visit was very significant in celebrating the life of Madiba because the Champion or Mandela Tree and the Garden of Remembrance were declared an official heritage site by the Gauteng Provincial Heritage Resources Authority.
Local senior citizens from Rockville came in numbers to celebrate the big day and were entertained by the Echo Arts Youth Choir and Grade R learners from Hoernle Primary School who sang a birthday song for the late Tata Madiba.
They also received plantations from the JCPZ and were also given lessons on how to take care of them.
Kedibone Moruti, one of the senior citizens who attended the commemoration visit at the park said, “We are happy as the elderly that we get to remember that Mandela took us out of apartheid and we are living the lives we live now because of him.
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“But I wish they can do more for us and our children because our children need jobs, otherwise, we are happy to celebrate this day because Ntate Mandela took us out of poverty and now we can sit on the same chairs as white people,” said Moruti.
MMC for Community Development, Cllr Lubabalo Magwentshu spoke about what they are doing differently this year in commemorating the life of Tata Madiba.
“There are many challenges that our people are faced with, especially young people, issues that are around unemployment and lack of resources.
“That is why we are inviting and partnering with corporates to ensure that we still service the people,” said MMC Magwentshu.
“Tomorrow in one of the events we’ll be having in Protea South we will be giving away about 20 computers to the community.
“Then we have Wi-Fi connection so that young people can go there if they want to apply for jobs and they won’t have to buy data.
“They’ll be able to use that facility and we’ll have people to also train the young people with using computers.”
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Delegates from the City laid a wreath, planted a tree, and lit a candle in remembrance of Madiba.
The ward councillor of Rockville, Nompumelelo Mazibuko said, “It is important that we acknowledge anybody who is over 60 because that is a blessing and some of us would like to get to that point.
“We also need to acknowledge the hard work that you put in as our senior citizens, you’re always there and available when we need your guidance and wisdom or making sure that certain things happen in the ward.”
