Walk in Madiba's footsteps
67 minutes for Mandela special
WHETHER you choose to walk in Mandela’s footsteps or help out at a hospital, you will be one of millions of people around the world celebrating Mandela Day. The day was set aside by the United Nations in 2009 to honour the good work Mandela did over the 67 years he spent in public service.
While doing good deeds is one way to commemorate the day, walking the path Mandela did is something you may soon be able to do, should a proposal by the Western Cape government be granted.
MEC for Economic Opportunities Alan Winde said the proposal stemmed from SA Tourism’s mobile app based on Mandelainspired attractions.
“The map was launched in 2014 to encourage local and international tourists to walk in the footsteps of Madiba. We hope these initiatives will offer an authentic experience to visitors, allowing them to experience a piece of the Western Cape’s rich cultural heritage”.
The provincial government has proposed signage for the Madiba route in the province which will highlight significant sites in the Western Cape.
“It is our goal to develop clear signage for the Madiba route so tourists are able to easily navigate to the different sites.
“We will work with local and national tourism authorities to market the route,” Winde said.
He added that the province still needed to engage with the relevant stakeholders to ensure the project’s success.
The five sites in the province that form part of the proposed Mandela journey are Robben Island, Pollsmoor Prison, Drakenstein Correctional Facility, City Hall and Parliament.
Meanwhile, celebrations of Mandela Day are likely to continue over the course of the weekend.
Despite Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu falling ill earlier this week, his foundation was set to go ahead with plans for doing its 67 minutes of service.
His daughter Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu will lead staff and friends of the organisation as they feed people waiting for medical attention at Groote Schuur Hospital’s outpatient department.
“Nelson Mandela International Day underscores our special responsibility as human beings to each other, to serve others. People visiting public hospitals often leave home in the dark to spend hours in the waiting rooms before being able to see a doctor.”
She added that many are unable to afford takeaway food and this adds to their burden of poverty and illness.
“It’s an exercise in human kindness that is very close to my father’s heart.
“As he receives first-rate care in a worldclass private medical facility, thanks to his medical aid and the personal generosity of a world-class team of doctors for which he is very grateful.
He is acutely conscious of the fact that many of his compatriots don't have it so easy.”
Mandela would have turned 97 tomorrow and people around the world have been honouring him by doing good deeds.
Tomorrow a South African team is to summit mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. They are expected to return on July 20.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Mandela Day manager, Yase Godlo, said the organisation hoped South Africans make every day a Mandela Day.
He said the foundation does good deeds throughout the year and they constantly encourage members of the public to learn how to be “sustainable do-gooders”.
“As much as it is about receiving, it is also about learning,” Godlo said.