Water Becomes the Focus of This Year’s Nelson Mandela Day

The new South Africa’s debt to former president Nelson Mandela is astronomical. The freedom fighter turned president paved the way for democracy and equality that were previously inaccessible to the majority of the country.Every year on Mandela’s birthday, 18th July, South Africans take 67 minutes out of their day to do charitable work. The 67 minutes represent Mandela’s 67-year commitment to fighting for freedom.

Coming together and working towards a common good is a way of engaging the ideal of “the new South Africa” and keeping the spirit of Mandela alive.Symbolising both how far South Africa has come and how far the country still needs to go, water takes centre stage on Mandela Day. Water is still not accessible to every single South African, and our water systems face serious problems such as pollution and climate change.

This year, 2025, Taryn Johnston of the Hennops Revival and Deep Water Movement, both NPOs which focus on water conservation and clean-ups in South Africa, calls upon those who wish to make a tangible difference on Mandela Day to join her and her team for a river clean-up.