Pretoria - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Zweli Mkhize will lead by example when he joins the queue on Thursday to donate blood.
The premier has urged all provincial parliamentarians to donate blood and to put his money where his mouth is, he will do so himself.
Mkhize will be joined by MEC for Health Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, Head of Department of Health Dr Sibongile Zungu and the Speaker in the Legislature Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni.
Staff in the provincial legislative building in Pietermaritzburg, government offices and district offices will rise to the call to donate blood during the month of December.
Dhlomo said the timing of this initiative was aimed at coinciding with the busy festive season when the province usually faced acute blood shortages as a result of high road accidents and trauma cases.
He said with the increasing demand for blood during the festive season, there was a need for recruiting more voluntary donors in addition to retaining those who have already donated.
"Retention of suitable blood donors should be a high priority for all of us, this also highlights the responsibility of blood transfusion services to provide quality care to ensure donors' health and safety, this will encourage the loyalty of voluntary blood donors to donate regularly," Dhlomo said on Tuesday.
"One must develop a habit of donating blood in order that the South African National Blood Service has sufficient blood stock to ensure that in cases of emergency quality blood is always available for needy patients."
