
Action against Poverty is this year’s theme for Nelson Mandela International Day and South Africans are being encouraged to work together to uproot poverty.

Melissa Javan
For this year’s Nelson Mandela International Day, South Africans are being called to work together to uproot poverty in the country. This was the main message at the Mandela Day launch held at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, on Wednesday, 10 May. The launch fell on the same date as Madiba’s presidential inauguration in 1994.
By launching with the theme “Action against Poverty” for this year’s Mandela Day, the Nelson Mandela Foundation firmly believes it is possible to rid the country of this scourge.
According to the foundation’s chief executive, Sello Hatang, Mandela Day has grown quickly since its first year. In 2009, it was launched in two cities – Johannesburg and New York. “We had about ten activations then. Now we have 146 countries participating in Nelson Mandela International Day and we have over a million activations all over the world.”

In November 2009, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared 18 July – the day Madiba was born – Nelson Mandela International Day. This was in recognition of the former statesman’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom.
On this day every year, people all over the world join the call to devote 67 minutes of time to helping others.
“For 67 years Nelson Mandela devoted his life to the service of humanity — as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of South Africa,” says the UN on their official website.
Watch how one organisation celebrated Mandela Day a few years ago:
Poverty affects children’s wellbeing
Hatang said 63% of South African children live in poverty. This, he explained, affects their cognitive, physical and emotional being.
He added that there are one in five people living in extreme poverty in the country. He encouraged all South Africans to continue to take action against it.
Quoting another great leader, Mahatma Gandhi, Hatang said: “May you be the change you would like to see in the future.”
“Use your talents, skills”
Gerry Rantseli-Elsdon, an international humanitarian and former media personality who spoke at the launch, said we can change our country from the inside out by giving what we already have. She added that people should use their skills and talents to help others.
The country needs to come together and tackle the burden of uprooting poverty, unemployment and inequality. #ActionAgainstPoverty pic.twitter.com/ldZ3QygjDO
— Play Your Part (@PlayYourPartSA) May 10, 2017
Elsdon, who was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) 15 years ago, called on others to visit children who are hospitalised because of TB. She suggested keeping the children stimulated, especially by reading books to them.
After her own battle with the disease, Elsdon looked for support to build awareness on TB. She learnt that those willing to help were not celebrities, but ordinary people. “I realised that if they could do something, so can I. They were volunteers. Giving of yourself changes not only your life but the lives of others.”
“It is possible to uproot poverty”

Former political activist, medical doctor and politician, Mamphela Ramphele, said South Africans should work together to liberate everyone and uproot poverty.
Ramphele, who is on the board of trustees at the foundation, said we should follow the values of the Constitution and use it as a guide. To her, what’s missing in South Africa is the political will to uproot poverty and empathy for each other. “We need healing to unleash empathy, to uproot poverty, to make poverty history.
“We as a foundation believe it is possible [to get rid of poverty]. We have done much more difficult things we didn’t think we could do. We can do this,” she said.
Safety of women an issue in townships
The Soul City Institute, a social justice organisation, held a dialogue to discuss safety of women who make use of taxis.
The campaign #SafeTaxisNow was created for the month of May. The discussion revealed that a national safe taxi charter will be drafted, which will speak about, among other concerns, every woman’s right to know her taxi driver.
It was also said that the month-long campaign will organise self-defence classes for women and awareness events to talk about their rights.
Here are some of the messages shared on Twitter about the dialogue:
“taxi drivers see us as little girls who are vulnerable and they can take advantage of us” #NelsonMandelaDay #SafeTaxisNow pic.twitter.com/Skv7dX5Q9r
— Soul City Institute (@SoulCity_SA) May 10, 2017
“we don’t have a choice but to use taxis because they remain the cheapest option for most people”‘ @simamkeleD #NelsonMandelaDay
— Soul City Institute (@SoulCity_SA) May 10, 2017
There needs to be a social costs for perpetrators. They need to be held accountable #SafeTaxisNow #MandelaDay pic.twitter.com/iXKUChA8uv
— Soul City Institute (@SoulCity_SA) May 10, 2017
There needs to be a social costs for perpetrators. They need to be held accountable #SafeTaxisNow #MandelaDay pic.twitter.com/iXKUChA8uv
— Soul City Institute (@SoulCity_SA) May 10, 2017
If you would like to know more about Mandela Day, visit the site here.
Sources: Nelson Mandela Foundation, Mandela Day, United Nations and the Soul City Institute.
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