The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory has kicked off the 55th anniversary of Africa Day with a tour of Joburg, which traces the icon’s footsteps in the city.
Celebrations will culminate in a star-studded concert at Constitution Hill on Saturday, 26 May.
Starting in Houghton, where Mandela’s Foundation is based, the whirlwind tour atop an open top Red Bus, stopped at Constitution Hill, the Apartheid Museum and ended at House number 8115 Vilakazi Street in Soweto, his last home with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela before his 27-years’ incarceration.
Aptly dubbed the “Trace Mandela Footsteps Tour”, it was designed to take television stars, musicians, and media personalities on a journey of Mandela’s history and heritage in Joburg, as well as his political and Presidential work, which is revered the world over.
Photo cred: SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM
It had been organised by Joburg Tourism and the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, alongside Brand South Africa, South African Tourism and a host of other commercial entities. Mandela is a Freedom of the City of Joburg recipient, having been recognised for his involvement in the struggle for equal human rights.
One of the first stops of the tour, Constitution Hill was described as a living museum that tells the story of South Africa’s journey to democracy. A former prison and military fort, Con Hill now bears testament to South Africa’s turbulent past and is the permanent home of the country’s Constitutional Court. The Apartheid Museum has been recognised around the globe as a leading museum dealing with 20th century South Africa and the history of its segregation policies.
Africa Day is observed annually on 25 May to commemorate the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, which was later, renamed the African Union. It was first adopted as a platform to acknowledge and celebrate the vibrancy and dynamism of the continent’s history, heritage, and culture.
The “Trace Mandela Footsteps Tour” ended with an impromptu media briefing from the Multi-Grammy Award-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Nigerian Afro-Pop singer and songwriter, Yemi Alade who are the headline artists billed to perform at the Africa Day concert on Saturday. Other artists on the line-up are Malian Afro-Pop singer and songwriter Salif Keïta, Nakhane and Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse.
Reflecting on the day, Alade said she was honoured to be associated with Mandela. “My invite to play in this concert means I’m associated with greatness because Madiba was a colossus of modern times, I’m super excited,” she said.
Black Mambazo promised a scintillating performance on Saturday in honour of the icon, noting that they will play some of his favourites.
Muvhango actor MacDonald Ndou said he was grateful for the sacrifices Mandela and his peers had made in fighting for freedom and equal human rights in South Africa. “Hearing all those stories of how Madiba and his comrades were persecuted by the Apartheid government is sobering. Today I enjoy equal human rights with people of all races because of his sacrifices. Mandela’s legacy is important,” said Ndou.
Organisers said the tour was also meant to promote the #BeTheLegacy campaign, which is centred around celebrating the centenary of Mandela’s birth on 18 July 2018.
