Mandela Day on 18 July is celebrated internationally and falls on the former statesman's 93rd birthday. This year, everyone is encouraged to dedicate at least 67 minutes of their time to an activity that helps to make the world a better place.
What Can I Do on Mandela Day?
Visit a local home for the blind and open up a new world for someone else.
Donate your old textbooks or any other informative books to a school library.
Get in touch with your local HIV organisations and find out how you can help.
Buy a few blankets, or grab the ones you no longer need from home and give them to someone in need.
Mentor someone. Make time to listen to what the kids have to say and give them good advice.
Take an elderly person grocery shopping; they will appreciate your company and assistance.
Organise a clean up at your local park, river, beach, street, town square or sports grounds with a few friends.
For a full list of 67 examples of ways to change the world, visit the Nelson Mandela Foundation website.
In keeping with this theme of volunteerism, Premier Helen Zille and the rest of the Western Cape Provincial Cabinet will celebrate Mandela Day by spending 67 minutes cleaning wards at the Red Cross Children's Hospital.
Once they have finished cleaning wards, the Premier and provincial ministers will interact with young patients and hospital staff.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, in collaboration with its public entity, CapeNature, will facilitate a beach clean up on Saturday, 16 July, as part of Mandela Day 2011 celebrations. An estimated 5 800 learners from around the Western Cape will participate in the clean up, which will stretch from Sunrise Circle in Muizenberg to the Strand. Learners will tread a route comprising of five designated beaches, with each beach taking approximately 67 minutes to clean.
Additional partners in the event include non-profit organisation, NewKidz on the Block, the Western Cape Department of Local Government and the SABC TV educational programme, Hectic 99. Minister Anton Bredell will address scholars at the Strandfontein Pavillion on the importance of Mandela Day and community involvement in creating a better environment for all.
Western Cape Human Settlements Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, accompanied by national Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale will launch the Legacy project in Conifers -Blue Downs, Cape Town as part of the Mandela Day Celebrations. Apart from assisting in the actual construction of houses, the Dignitaries will also take part in other community work such as planting trees and laying of lawn at the two local parks adjacent to the project site.
The Legacy project, which precedes the hosting of International Housing and Home Warranty Conference (IHHWC) in Cape Town (24-28 September 2011), aims to showcase innovative solutions by building eight double storey 60m2 houses for the subsidy sector. The houses will be allocated to vulnerable members of the community.
The Legacy project is a partnership between the National Department of Human Settlements, Western Cape Human Settlements, the City of Cape Town and National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC).