The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies and Deputy Ministers Ms Elizabeth Thabethe and Ms Thandi Tobias-Pokolo will on Monday, 18 July 2011 heed the national call to help change the world for the better in celebration of the Nelson Mandela Day, by leading teams of the department officials to KwaZulu-Natal, Northwest and Gauteng where they will be dedicating 67 minutes of their time to various noble causes.
Minister Davies will be in Qhudeni at Chief Sithole Village in KwaZulu-Natal where he will hand-over computers to Kufanelesibonge and Qhobo secondary schools. Deputy Minister Thabethe will visit the community of Mohlakeng in Randfontein, where she will spend the day with residents of the Mohlakeng Old Age Home. She will assist with the painting of the premises.
Deputy Minister Tobias-Pokolo will be in Christiana in the North West, where she will help with the renovation of Retataise Day Care Centre. She will also donate blankets to the poor.
Davies says that Mandela Day is a call to action for individual people everywhere to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place, one small step at a time, just as former President Mandela did for more than 67 years.
“Citizens are encouraged to devote 67 minutes to community service and I’m hoping that the small contribution of the department’s Ministers and staff will not onlygive hope and inspiration to the communities we will be visiting, but will also change their live for the better,” says Minister Davies.
On 18 July, Mandela's 93rd birthday, citizens of the world and in particular all South Africans are encouraged to dedicate at least 67 minutes of their time to do community work in celebration of the values and principles that South Africa's first democratic president stood for. The 67 minutes symbolise Mandela's 67 years of selfless service to the people of South Africa and the world in the course of his extraordinary life.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe
Tel: 012 394 1650
Cell: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
Source: Department of Trade and Industry
Department of Trade and Industry leadership heed the call to Mandela Day
