​On the 18th of July, South Africans and the world at large will come together and give their 67 minutes doing charitable acts under the global theme “Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are”.
This day was officially declared by the United Nations in 2009 through a resolution in the General Assembly, and the first UN Mandela Day was held on July 18, 2010, and was chosen because the former President Nelson Mandela was born on this day in 1918.

The late Mandela once said, “Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural, but man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.” He said this in his speech at the Make Poverty History rally in London’s Trafalgar Square on 3 February 2005.

The 67 minutes hardly seems like enough time to make a difference, however, the initiative behind it creates awareness of the issues our country and the world are currently facing. It is also to appreciate the 67 years that Nelson Mandela spent fighting for justice, equality, and human rights for all.

People are encouraged to participate in this national act of charity and put together ideas on how to spend their 67 minutes to a make an individual difference.

To commemorate Mandela Day, you only need 67 minutes of your time and do something in your community. Here are some of the suggestions to choose from; a stationery drive since many schools and learners are battling with stationery supplies, write letters to the aged, clean up, fundraise for a cause, buy a bed, donate blood and register as a donor, educate yourself on social justice and share your skills, etc. By becoming someone who makes every day Mandela Day by acting against poverty, you can show others that action speaks louder than words.