Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Thembi Siweya, led the Mandela Month Winter Warmer Drive, as part of government’s Mandela Month goodwill activities, by handing over blankets to 36 elderly women, who are members of the Gogo Novoti Elderly Women’s Group in Mthatha on July 4.
The Gogo Novoti Elderly Women’s Group has mobilised elderly members of the community to participate in recreational activities, such as soccer, to keep themselves healthy and active.
The gesture was aimed at mobilising stakeholders to play their part in changing the living conditions of ordinary people, just as former president, Nelson Mandela, did during his lifetime.
A total of 72 blankets were handed over on the day with each beneficiary getting two blankets.
Government said the handover was consistent with the South African Constitution and the National Development Plan’s call for active citizenry; hence, this year’s Mandela Month theme is: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”..
Mandela Month is a month-long period where people are encouraged to do goodwill in celebration of the late Nelson Mandela’s birthday on July 18, also dubbed Mandela Day.
“I can say the blankets we received today will give us both physical and spiritual warmth. I say physical warmth because they will keep us warm in our bodies but spiritual warmth in the sense that this shows that government still cares for us, as elderly people, and that really warms our spirits,” said Gogo Novoti Elderly Women’s Group secretary, Lungiswa Somdyala (75).
As part of the Mandela Month Winter Warmer Drive, Siweya will visit several centres and communities around the country during July, having started with those in the Eastern Cape last week.
The Eastern Cape leg of the Winter Warmer Drive also saw Siweya visiting and donating gifts to centres in the Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay metros.
