Mandela

Bikers for Mandela Day will be supporting various initiatives to drive awareness of gender-based violence issues this Mandela Month as part of the broader movement to inspire people to take action to change society for the better.

South Africa will honour former president Nelson Mandela by unveiling a golden statue of him as the country marks the 100th anniversary of the Union Buildings in Pretoria in December, Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile announced on Tuesday.

The friendly city of Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth gave thousands of football fans - as well as Local Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan - an exuberant welcome as the first World Cup match kicked off at its new stadium on Saturday.

South Africans joined the rest of the world in celebrating Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday on 18 July 2009, while some people gave 67 minutes of their time to help their communities in support of the global Nelson Mandela Day initiative.

President Jacob Zuma has urged South Africans to draw on the lessons of the life of former president Nelson Mandela and use this to better the lives of other people.

The world premiere of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, the big-screen dramatisation of Nelson Mandela's autobiography, was followed by an eight-minute standing ovation from a visibly moved audience at the 38th Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday.

The South African National Aids Council and the Civil Society Forum joined the rest of the world in paying tribute to Nelson Mandela on Friday, saying the HIV community would "sorely miss his cherished role in the response to addressing the epidemic".

Nelson Mandela was a "giant for justice", United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said during a visit to the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg on Monday, adding that Mandela was more than one of the world's greatest leaders. "He was a teacher, and he taught and practised by example."

Madiba's dream of a secondary school at his birthplace, Mvezo, was finally realised with the opening of the Nelson Mandela School of Science and Technology on Friday. The state-of-the-art school will enable 700 local learners to study engineering, science, technology and agriculture.

Nelson Mandela was hailed as a champion of reconciliation on Tuesday as world leaders, international guests and ordinary South Africans braved the rain to attend his official memorial service at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.