Mogale City Executive Mayor Patrick Lipudi spent 67 minutes and more of his time to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela in three areas with masses of men, women and children across the city.
Nelson Mandela’s birthday, which was declared a national day of service for the Centenary celebration of Nelson Mandela and Albertina Sisulu by government, was celebrated under two themes – ‘Be the legacy’ for Mandela and ‘A woman of fortitude’ for Albertina Sisulu. Albertina Sisulu was a South African anti–apartheid activist and the wife of fellow activist Walter Sisulu.
In his first whistle-stop tour, Councillor Lipudi visited Leratong Hospital where this year’s Nelson Mandela Memorial Cataract Camp was held. The Cataract Camp’s main target was to give the gift of sight to at least 67 patients by removing their cataracts at no cost. So far, 90 cataract surgeries have been performed since the camp commenced on Saturday, 14 July this year.
The initiative is a partnership between Gauteng Department of Health, the local Islamic Medical Association of South Africa (IMASA), the Pakistani Community of South Africa and Awqaf South Africa, a developmental non-profit organisation.
At his second stop, Councillor Lipudi who always champions ‘acts of no violence among women and children’, visited Yusuf Dadoo Primary School in Azaadville. Together with councillors Shabier Dabhelia and Francinah Chohledi, they donated food parcels to identified needy leaners. This engagement and support also motivates learners to draw inspiration from the late Nelson Mandela, a global icon.
The executive mayor’s final stop was at Munsieville Social Integrated Centre where he addressed senior citizens and the youth on programmes and projects that the municipal is currently undertaking as well as those that are in the pipeline.