Ramaphosa Calls on South Africans to Go Beyond Charity on Mandela Day
By Mpho Tumelo Modise | EZA News
President Cyril Ramaphosa has used his weekly newsletter to issue a call to action ahead of Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July, urging South Africans to move beyond symbolic charitable acts and commit to confronting the structural roots of poverty and inequality.
Writing in his newsletter released on Monday, Ramaphosa encouraged citizens across the country to dedicate their traditional 67 minutes of service to helping vulnerable communities – visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the lonely, and volunteering time and skills to organisations doing the difficult work of community upliftment.
“As we approach this day, we consider not only the acts of service that millions will perform, but also the deeper purpose that Madiba intended the marking of his birthday to serve,” Ramaphosa wrote.
However, the president was careful to frame Mandela Day not as a moment of charity alone, but as a call to sustained, justice-oriented action – drawing directly on Mandela’s own convictions.
“Madiba was clear that overcoming poverty is not an act of charity, but an act of justice. So on this Mandela Day, let us also recommit ourselves to the difficult task of ending poverty and inequality in our country and in our world,” he wrote.
Ramaphosa argued that tackling inequality requires both domestic reforms and greater international cooperation, including structural changes to the global financial system to ensure it better serves developing nations. This message is consistent with positions South Africa has championed through the G20 presidency and in multilateral forums throughout 2026.
Nelson Mandela International Day has been recognised by the United Nations since 2009, and South Africa marks it each year with a nationwide push for volunteerism and community service. Ramaphosa’s appeal carries added weight in a year defined by significant social pressures – xenophobic unrest, persistent unemployment, and the ongoing challenge of delivering basic services to millions of South Africans who remain below the poverty line.
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