By Hassan Isilow
South Africans joined millions from across the world to remember former President Nelson Mandela who would have turned 106 years old on Thursday.
The South African government said International Nelson Mandela Day celebrations hold special significance this year because on this day in 1994, Mandela presided over the first Government of National Unity.
“Coincidentally, President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the first Opening of Parliament Address of the 7th Administration under the Government of National Unity on the same day,” it said in a statement.
Mandela Day also coincides this year with the 30th anniversary of the birth of the country’s democratic government -- a milestone Mandela was instrumental in helping to end decades of apartheid.
The UN in 2009 designated July 18 as International Nelson Mandela Day to celebrate the Nobel Peace Prize winner’s birthday and commemorate the fight against racism and apartheid.
To honor Mandela and his selfless contribution to humanity, South Africans are dedicating 67 minutes to volunteer for good causes.
Abdulaziz Yigit, director of the Yunus Emre Institute in Johannesburg, joined the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation in planting trees with students at the Jules High School in Johannesburg. The event was attended by former South African first lady Gugu Mothlanthe.
“Happy #MandelaDay! To honor Nelson Mandela’s lifelong commitment to service, we awarded Mandela Day Services Grants to support ten alumni service projects and make every day Mandela Day,” the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg wrote on X.
The Foundation also rallied residents in Johannesburg and joined them in cleaning parts of the city that were filled with litter.
- Mandela's support for Palestinian rights remembered
“As the world commemorates Mandela Day, we recall Nelson Mandela's solid, unwavering support for Palestinian rights.” Iqbal Jassat, executive member of the Johannesburg-based advocacy group, Media Review Network, told Anadolu.
He said almost three decades ago, in a speech to mark the UN observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Mandela made iconic remarks that have resounded across the four corners of the world: "We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians."
Jassat said: “In light of the gruesome genocide that the settler colonial Israel regime is perpetrating in the besieged Gaza Strip, it is equally important to know that Nelson Mandela would have unconditionally and without any qualms, opposed Israel and all its backers.’’
Palestinians have been inspired by Mandela’s legacy and know that having spent 27 years in jail, Mandela did not retire nor give up the goals of liberation, he said.
Mandela continued the struggle by tearing down South Africa's apartheid system before emerging as the country's first black president, he added.
The 67 minutes South Africans spent on Mandela Day giving help to those less fortunate as a tribute to the number of years Mandela spent in public service, included cleaning orphanages, streets, schools or they donated items in their communities.
Mandela was born July 18, 1918, in the village of Mvezo in Eastern Cape Province. He spent 27 years in prison for opposing the white apartheid regime.
He became South Africa’s first democratically elected president in 1994 and governed for one term. He did not seek reelection.
Mandela did not exercise bitterness or revenge on those who incarcerated him but instead chose reconciliation and forgiveness to unite all racial groups in South Africa.
He died Dec 5, 2013, at the age of 95.