Background: On Mandela Day, an impactful event took place in Alexandra, focusing on community upliftment through the collaboration of The HDA, Human Settlements Department and various entities in partnership with the local municipality (Ekurhuleni Metro). The event aimed to honor former President, Nelson Mandela’s legacy by contributing to the betterment of living conditions in one of Johannesburg’s most underprivileged areas.
This year marks the 11th anniversary of Madiba’s passing in December 2013. To commemorate this, the Nelson Mandela Foundation has themed the 11-Year Remembrance call to action “The Legacy Lives on Through You”.
Key activities included
• Housing Improvements: Volunteers, including members from HDA and partnering entities, worked on renovating and repairing homes and a nursery school. This included fixing roofs, painting walls, and improving sanitation facilities to ensure safer and more habitable living conditions.
• Clean-up: A clean-up drive was conducted across various sites in Alexandra. Volunteers collected waste to promote a cleaner and greener environment.
• Educational Programs: The HDA and the DHS, as well as the Municipality offered information sessions and informed individual members of the community on their application statuses.
• Food Distribution: Volunteers distributed food parcels or organising a community meal for those in need.
As the day drew to a close, the impact of the activities was evident in the smiles and laughter of the children at Bathabeleng. The event not only honored Nelson Mandela’s legacy but also strengthened the bonds within the community and highlighted the importance of working together for a common cause, who awarded a humbling recognition certificate to the HDA for the part they took in changing lives.
The involvement in this CSI project is particularly important for the HDA as the HDA is responsible for the implementation of the GADA project in the area. Community buy-in becomes critical. During the interaction, the Communication team met up with a Youth organisation called Youth Explosion that is focussed on developing the youth community in the area. Their plight was escalated to the HDA Transformation for possible future collaboration.
