Keeping true to government’s promise of healthy, clean, safe and environmentally friendly communities, Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi today rolled up her sleeves and led a massive clean-up campaign in Vuwani, Limpopo.
In honour of Nelson Mandela and his values of serving other people without expecting anything in return, Minister Muthambi picked up litter from the Vuwani Shopping complex and continued to Government Offices, townhall and Nandoni Primary School.
The Minister, who grew up in the area, was joined by a team comprising of residents, traditional leaders, spiritual leaders, representatives of the Vuwani Constituency Office and other leaders from the Vhembe region.
“We’ve decided to demonstrate Madiba’s values through cleaning up our rural town of Vuwani. We strongly believe that our new clean-up campaign will help to sensitize locals to keep their small town clean and environmental friendly,” she said.
Minister Muthambi said the first ever campaign to clean-up the heaps of garbage and stagnant mosquito-infested water was not a once off event, that it would be held annually during Mandela Month.
“While we want to use the campaign to emulate Madiba who was known world-wide as a servant of the people, we also want to encourage the locals to be aware of the environmental hazard threatening their town by the garbage they pile up.
“The clean-up campaign is our effort to remain true to Nelson Mandela’s ideals of making the country and the world a better place,” the Minister said.
For 67 years, Mandela devoted his life to the service of humanity as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience and an international peace maker.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation dedicated this year’s Mandela Month to Action Against Poverty, honouring Madiba’s leadership and devotion to fighting poverty and promoting social justice for all.
In November 2009, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared July 18, Nelson Mandela International Day in recognition of Mandela’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom.
The month of July is a very significant month in South Africa. On July 18, every year, South Africans, and the people of the world at large, celebrate Mandela Day through acting on the idea that each person has the power to make a meaningful contribution towards those who are less fortunate.
South Africans have embraced the chance to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s life for the whole of July. This means everyone has the whole month to take action and make a positive difference in the lives of others.
It is almost four years since the passing of former President Mandela. – SAnews.gov.za
