Wednesday, 19 July 2017 – In honour of former President Nelson Mandela’s passion for the elderly and young children, Speaker of the National Assembly Ms Baleka Mbete in partnership with the Department of Correctional Services dedicated more than 67 minutes on Mandela Day interacting with more than 500 elderly people of Etwatwa Township in Ekurhuleni and donated blankets and food parcels.
Elderly people living in townships and rural areas should not have to struggle to access quality healthcare, Ms Mbete said, because access to healthcare is a basic right for all citizens irrespective of their age, financial status or geographical location.
The senior citizens, some in wheelchairs and some walking with the aid of walking sticks, had gathered at the Rolihlahla Primary School (named after Mandela) to meet with Ms Mbete, who earlier had visited the graves of fallen uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) combatants and met their families.
To the senior citizens, Ms Mbete said: “Today we remember Madiba who lived up to the age of 95 by honouring our old people. They are a blessing to us and we need to respect them and learn from them because they are also a rich source of knowledge”.
The elders were entertained with song and dance by inmates from the Boksburg Correctional Centre. “Thank you for allowing us to entertain you, this is our way of showing that we are sorry for what we have done to society and promise to do good when we are released,” said one of the inmates.
Ms Mbete’s engagement yesterday is one of a series of Parliament activities, paying special tribute to the life and legacy of Madiba, as part of observing Mandela Day. The day, Madiba’s birthday, is a reminder that it is up to each one of us to make our world a better place. We should make every day a Mandela Day through our interactions with people and our environment.
This year Parliament is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the coming into effect of our Constitution and the establishment of the National Council of Provinces. Mandela Day is a timely occasion for us to reflect on where we have come from, where we are now and what we must still do to address social injustice.
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER
For media enquiries please contact, Amanda Madikiza 079 781 1367, Spokesperson to the Speaker of the National Assembly
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