Cape Town - Acting President Kgalema Motlanthe has urged South Africans to lend a helping hand to those who are less fortunate in their respective communities on Madiba Day, 18 July.
Mr Motlanthe will be acting President of the country until 10 July when President Jacob Zuma returns from the Group of 8 (G8) Summit in Italy.
Speaking during a joint sitting of the National Assembly in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Motlanthe said Madiba has made the world a better place and South Africans should follow in his footsteps.
"We trust that public servants, traditional leaders, the religious fraternity, sports people, musicians and artists, business people, workers, students, the youth and the aged will join hands in this event to improve the lives of the vulnerable in our communities," he said.
He said through actions, the nation can inspire others to do the same. Mr Motlanthe also urged Parliamentarians to emulate Mr Mandela's confidence, his humility, his determination, his strength and his vision.
"Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Premiers and Member of Executive Council (MECs); Member of Parliament (MPs) and Member of Provincial Legislature (MPLs), Mayors and Councillors need to ensure that we spend at least 67 minutes of our time on Madiba's birthday engaging in meritorious activities," he said.
He said in those 67 minutes, every individual should be involved in reawakening the spirit of human solidarity.
"It is through helping others that our ability to deal with our own problems and challenges will be enhanced.
"In each and every one of us resides the potential to fashion a united and cohesive society in which all can stand proud as one family, under the sun," he said.
Mr Motlanthe said a global movement for positive change begins with small actions, adding that Mandela Day should inject the spirit of promoting the spirit of the distressed.
According to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Mr Mandela's life has been an inspiration to the world.
To date, the foundation and 46664 campaign has focused mainly on supporting projects in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa where current needs are greatest, particularly for those infected or affected by HIV and AIDS.
Major international events are planned around Mr Mandela's birthday each year, such as concerts, exhibitions and speeches.
This year, a series of special events will take place in New York involving many of the charity's global ambassadors from the worlds of entertainment, music and film.
The 46664 and the Nelson Mandela Foundation together with the New York City Department of Education will also host a group of middle and high school students in South Africa this month.
The students are expected to visit the offices of Mr Mandela to see the work of the foundation as well as to meet South African students in order to develop a student charter that applies Mr Mandela's ideals to their day-to-day lives and local communities.
All money raised from Mandela Day will support the ongoing work of 46664 and the Nelson Mandela charitable organisations.
