Ahead of Mandela Day, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged citizens to pair acts of service with a renewed commitment to addressing the root causes of poverty, inequality and injustice.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to move beyond symbolic acts of charity this Mandela Day, calling for a renewed national and global effort to tackle the root causes of poverty and inequality.
In his weekly newsletter ahead of Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July, Ramaphosa said while citizens should continue dedicating 67 minutes to community service, the country must not lose sight of the deeper challenge of creating a more equal society.
The president said Mandela Day was established not merely as a celebration of the former statesman's life, but as a global call to action against poverty, inequality and injustice.
"This was not a South African occasion that the world chose to notice. It is a global day of action to harness Madiba's legacy in service of a challenge that confronts most nations: the fight against poverty, inequality and injustice," he said.
