South Africans all over the country commemorated Nelson Mandela International Day in honour of Nelson Mandela.
The day is an international day of recognition celebrated each year on 18 July, on the late former president’s birthday and officially recognised by the United Nations in November 2009.
According to South African National Parks (SANParks), its staff from its head offices in Pretoria commemorated it by hosting a soup kitchen for the homeless together with Sunny Park Mall in Pretoria.
Rey Thakhuli, SANParks General Manager: Media, PR & Stakeholder Relations, said that after everything that Nelson Mandela did for this country and the world at large, it is up to individuals and organisations to make a difference in communities around them.
“He is gone, but his spirit and soul are still with us, and we need to do our bit in commemoration of it,” said Thakhuli.
SANParks also revealed that it is collecting and will be donating sanitary pads to a school and elderly home in Soweto later this month in honour of the spirit of Mandela and as part of celebrations for the month.
“We need to take care of our most vulnerable citizens, which are the destitute and homeless,” said Thakhuli.
Thakhuli also said the former apartheid struggle icon must be celebrated and remembered as his tireless commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable is indisputable.
“SANParks, in line with its vision statement, wants to reconnect and inspire society by changing the world into a better place one small step at a time,” added Thakhuli.