Uganda has joined the rest of the world to Mark the Nelson Mandela day which saw several trees planted and speeches dedicated to justice, unity and development, as the international icon marked his 92nd birthday.
The Nelson Mandela day was marked at Kitante High School where the head teacher, Rose Zizinga called upon the pupils and Ugandans to embrace Mandela’s ideals of Freedom and Justice.
South Africa High Commissioner to Uganda, John Okwelane attended the event and led the planting of trees in the event his government organized in collaboration with ABETO (always Be Tolerant).
Nelson mandela turned 92 on 18th July 2010
Okwelane said Nelson Mandela who served as South Africa’s President from 1994 to 1998 is a big role model for both young people and old people, especially those in leadership across the world.
Other speakers described Mandela as the father of democracy in Africa and hailed him for his efforts to see a free liberated Africa.
Several parts of the world also celebrated the Nelson Mandela day with ”goodwill games” among activities. The UN announced July 18 birthday of Mandela as an international day devoted to public service and unity.
”Today is an opportunity for millions of people around the world to look inside themselves and find those beautiful qualities as any human being has and say: `I am able to make a difference to my neighbor, to someone underprivileged, I can extend my goodness to other people,”’ Mandela’s wife Graca Machel said Sunday after planting a vegetable garden in a Soweto orphanage.
She said that while her husband was no longer so physically strong to appear at many public events as Mandela would love to, ”his spirit is strong as ever.”
South African President Jacob Zuma who marked the day in Mandela’s birthplace of Mvezo led activities of planting trees and painting class rooms. He said Mandela taught South Africans that ”we must work together to entrench African unity and solidarity in our country.”
‘We urge a continuation of this spirit of African unity, love and friendship,” Zuma said.
US President Barrack Obama in a message on the Mandela Day encouraged the public to heed the call to engage in some form of service to others, and said of Mandela, ”We strive to follow his example of what it means to truly give back to our communities, our nations, and our world.”
”We are grateful to continue to be blessed with his extraordinary vision, leadership, and spirit. And we strive to build upon his example of tolerance, compassion and reconciliation,” Obama said in a statement.
More information about Mandela at www.nelsonmandela.org