When The Nelson Mandela Foundation and The 46664 Campaign urged people to support the creation of a day on which Mandela could be remembered, Mandela said that he would be honoured if such a day could serve to bring people together around the world to fight poverty and promote reconciliation. This sentiment is in keeping with his spirit of service to his community and his work to alleviate poverty.
In 1996 he said, “We can neither heal nor build if the rich in our society see the poor as hordes or irritants; or if the poor sit back, expecting charity. All of us must take responsibility for the upliftment of conditions and prepare to give our best for the benefit of all.”
Then, three years later, in his state of the nation address he emphasised the fundamental importance of discipline, a work ethic, personal responsibility and respect for life. With these ideals in mind, Nelson Mandela’s 91st birthday was celebrated for the first time as International Mandela Day. July 18 was recognised as a day of humanitarian action to emulate Mandela’s example of service to his community. He spent 67 years of his life actively devoted to bringing about social change. Individuals were asked to give at least 67 minutes of their time in service to their communities.
Many people in South Africa answered this invitation and many were very creative in their response. Schools in disrepair were painted and renovated, patients in hospitals and the house-bound were visited, streets were cleaned and trees were planted. To promote reconciliation, a young professional African lady gave her time to visiting and old-age home whose residents are mostly white. One radio station raised over two million rand (R200,000) for the Mandela Children’s Fund in a sixty-seven-minute telethon.
On this day, some of the Mercy projects became recipients of the service of others. Mercy Haven Shelter for Women in Boksburg, received blankets, clothes and money from the staff of the local First National Bank. The residents of Immaculata Homeless Shelter in Rosebank, Johannesburg, were treated to a very special lunch given by the staff of ABSA Bank and the women from the Mercy shelter in Berea, Johannesburg, attended a function hosted by the Johannesburg City Council. Mercy House Shelter for Abused Women in Pretoria was turned upside down when the National High Commissioner of Correctional Services and six of the staff from her office arrived in jeans and T-shirts, armed with stepladders, buckets and brushes, to help the women clean the house from ceiling to floor and to play with the children. A lot of laughter and the sharing of stories accompanied the hard work. One of the officers had brought cakes and cold drinks that everyone enjoyed after the morning’s labour.
Just after the members of Correctional Services had left, a lady from the legal department of the South African Revenue Services arrived with a delicious meal for everyone to share. The first Mandela Day is one that will be remembered for a long time because of the spirit in which it was celebrated. The Vice President of South Africa, Mr Motlanthe, said, “Our actions should be motivated by the vision that has sustained Madiba’s life, a life dedicated to social transformation. It is a way of promoting the spirit of helping others even as we face our own challenges. The very act of helping set off this magnanimous spirit of steadfast service to humanity and gives meaning to the 67 years that Madiba gave to the struggle for a better-managed and humane world.” All in all the initiative brought out the very best in our South African people.
Colleen Wilkinson rsm
South African Province
