Introduction and background

In 2009, President Jacob Zuma first introduced the concept of Mandela Day to motivate a nationwide campaign to get the public involved in charitable activities. In November 2009, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) paid tribute to Dr Nelson Mandela by adopting a resolution to make the international community aware of his humanitarian work.

From 2010, 18 July was declared by the UNGA as International Nelson Mandela Day. This day also coincides with the icon’s birthday. The celebration of this international day recognises and gives credence to the former President Nelson Mandela’s commitment to human rights, conflict resolution and reconciliation.

Nelson Mandela Day not only celebrates Nelson Mandela’s life, but it is also a global call to action for people to recognize their ability to have a positive effect on others around them.

These values include democracy, freedom, equality, diversity, reconciliation, and respect. An international campaign has been initiated by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the International Nelson Mandela Day, which sums up what Mandela stands for. It gives all people in South Africa and all over the world an opportunity to do something for others, for only 67 minutes in recognition of the 67 years that Madiba spent fighting against apartheid.Many people and organizations around the world take part in many activities to promote Nelson Mandela Day.

These activities include volunteering, sport, art, education, music and culture. Various events are also held on or around July 18 to honor Nelson Mandela’s works and to promote the different projects that were inspired by Mandela’s achievementsCabinet on 1st July 2009 endorsed the call to declare 18th July as global Mandela Day. In November 2009 the United Nations once again declared 18 July as Nelson Mandela International Day. All South African, civil society organisations and the citizens of the world supported the Mandela Day initiative by doing acts of good works in their communities.

South Africa's celebration 

Every year on 18 July South Africans and the international community honour former President and international icon, the late Nelson Mandela through the Nelson Mandela International Day. This is an annual international day of humanitarian action in celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy. Also, it is a catalyst to encourage everyone to change the world through voluntary community work.

Throughout his lifetime, Nelson Mandela spent 67 year of his life advancing the struggle for the liberation of all South Africans, black and white, from political, social and economic division.

"During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

Theme and messages 

Global Climate Change was not seen as a serious, realistic threat for most South Africans. However, following the heavy rains which led to flooding which occurred during April this year in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape, the impact of global climate change is no longer a distant, future threat.  

Following 435 recorded deaths, due to the flooding, with many more individuals still unaccounted for, entire communities left homeless, the overall social, socio-economic and other devastating effects; global climate change and its corporeal impact can no longer be ignored.  

Added to that, South Africa remains the most unequal country in the world, with 10 percent of the population owning more than 80 percent of the wealth, according to a World Bank report. This socio-economic inequality in turn is obviated through food insecurity. Statistics South Africa reports that almost 23,6 per cent of South Africans in 2020 were affected by moderate to severe food insecurity, while almost 14,9% experienced severe food insecurity. 

It is therefore critical to engage in activities that will mitigate the adverse effects of climate change as seen in KwaZulu-Natal and beyond, while highlighting the plight of food insecurity at a household level in South Africa. 

In response, the Nelson Mandela Foundation believes that we should apply every effort facilitate lasting, sustainable solutions to counter the impact of global climate change and food insecurity.  

The underlying values of the campaign remain the same as espoused by the tagline for 2022: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” For the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the focus and messaging are be based on promoting community and backyard gardens, supporting fruit and indigenous tree planting, and creating awareness of the intersections between food security and climate change. 

The Nelson Mandela Foundation will be planting a million fruit trees across South Africa and will be supporting vegetable gardens at schools, early childhood development centers and communities, in all nine provinces. The intention is to address the deep-rooted challenge of food security, while reducing the collective carbon footprint in an effort to build sustainable futures for generations to follow. 

Theme: An intersection between food security and climate change 
Call-to-action: Fund, Plant, Feed & Sustain

Focus Areas: 

1. Fruit and Indigenous Tree Planting  
2. Community and Backyard Gardens  
3. Positive Climate Action 

Nelson Mandela International Day theme

The message encourages everyone to be active citizens and agents of what they want to see. As a champion of change, Mandela was instrumental in reconciliation and ensuring that Africans come together to defeat all challenges - like apartheid, poverty and wars, among others. This theme encourages us to take responsibility to change attitudes and to ensure a peaceful co-existence in communities.

Also, July is known as Social Cohesion Month which encourages South Africans to become active citizens that work together to develop a cohesive society. This entails promoting the Constitutional principles and ideals of non-racialism, non-sexism, justice and equality for all. It is also an opportunity to do more to build an inclusive society and economy. More importantly citizens must push for a recognition of shared symbols and values and promote a countrywide conscious sense of being proudly South African.

Key messages:

• Mandela Day promotes democratic values of justice and equality:

  • International Nelson Mandela Day, as declared by the UN in 2008, aims to showcase his work and to make the world aware of his humanitarian work.

  • Celebrating this day is an opportunity to give to those who do not have through charitable organisations (Nelson Mandela Foundation; Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and Mandela Rhodes Foundation) and raise funds to support their continuing work of ensuring change.

  • The Mandela Day campaign message encourages people to use 67 minutes of their time to support a chosen charity or serve in their local community.

• Make every day a Mandela Day:

  • To encourage South Africans to make every day a Mandela Day, by staying true to his ideals of justice, equality and a non-racial South Africa.

  • All South Africans have a responsibility to promote freedom and defend our democracy in honour of Madiba’s life-long commitment to these ideals.

  • His legacy lives on in our commitment to ensure a just and fair society for all, including the rights to dignity and freedom of expression.

  • Government remains determined to ensure that all South Africans, without exception enjoy all the rights enshrined in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

• Nelson Mandela promoted South Africa’s leadership role in the Africa Agenda:

  • Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his efforts to finding a peaceful resolution to the country’s deep-rooted conflicts stemming from colonialism.

  • Mandela Day is dynamic instrument that promotes Pan Africanism and unity in diversity.

  • Under his leadership South Africa ceased to be the pariah of the world. Instead, it regained its rightful place on the continent and became part of the family of nations whilst also emphasising that Africa is at the centre of South Africa’s foreign policy.

  • Nelson Mandela recognised South Africa as an integral part of the African continent and understood its national interest as being intrinsically linked to Africa’s stability, unity and prosperity, hence the need to embrace each as Africans.

  • After his release, he recognised Africa’s assistance during the struggle and thanked them for their hospitality and support as they opened their doors and became home for many South Africans who had fled the persecution of the apartheid government.

• We walk the Mandela talk:

  • Nelson Mandela has been one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero who embarked on a lifelong dedication to the fight against injustice and racial oppression.

  • Honour the memory of our icon by making this the best Nelson Mandela Day by using it to foster social cohesion, nation building, economic development and inclusive citizenship

  • It is a global call to action for people everywhere to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place by giving our time supporting a charity or serving local communities.

  • There is no other way to honour the late former President than being dedicated to the service of our fellow human beings and by actively helping to change their circumstances.

• Let us build a society that is home to all:

  • We must do more to break down the artificial barriers of culture, race or religion that still divide us.

  • This generation must continue to work towards a society free from racial, social, economic and class barriers.

  • We must strengthen the common ties that bind us rather than focus on that which divides us.

  • Government will not rest until all South Africans enjoy the fruits of our liberation and our democracy.

  • Together we can ensure greater daily interaction on an equal basis which will build social cohesion and common understanding.