Umjindi Eye

Mandela Month has come and gone. Personally, I’m the first to acknowledge that the 67 minutes initiative for Mandela is a worthy project to support but it seems nothing more than a PR stunt for most organisations.

Suddenly, we go all out to serve others on Mandela Day. This should be a time for realness. However, to me it appears the problem is that our enthusiasm lasts only for one day.

Both electronic and print media including social media are engulfed by posts of what people did on Mandela Day, almost like promoting the good they did – not much about the legacy of Tata.

This day has been reduced to PR stunts for businesses, or an opportunity for personal posts of self-indulgence on media.

We have over 300 days in a year without sparing a thought for Mandela’s legacy or even visiting the elderly, destitute or orphans and suddenly on July 18 we pose for photographs to go on social media and or which feature in newspapers for all the good work we did.

I believe service to fellow South Africans should be a lifestyle which we all need to embrace every day. We should not need a special day to dedicate to serving others.

Those, who believe in the Bible, like me, will agree that there is no need in practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.

I truly believe that when you give to the needy, there is no need in sounding a trumpet for yourself.

But when you give to the less fortunate, do not let your left hand know what your right one is doing.

Let’s make Mandela Day a genuine one that we practise every second of our lives.

Richard Nkosi.