REFILWE MEKOA
67 is a symbolic number of years that Nelson Mandela spent trying to bring change in the world.
This is according to Sello Hatang, the CEO of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory. He says Madiba started calculating the years when he began attending community meetings. Hatang says the meetings were about trying to work out a different South Africa.
“It period was from 1942 till 2009 which is when we launched the first official Mandela Day. It is officially saying he has now stepped away from the public arena and it is now time for people to take charge.
The world is preparing to celebrate Nelson Mandela International Day tomorrow. Hatang says the idea was inspired by Mandela at his 90th birthday and was officially declared in November 2009.
“It is the 67 minutes of the 67 years that Madiba sacrificed his time,” says Hatang.
