Comments Nelson Mandela Square manager Sharon Swain, “Where better to celebrate Madiba’s greatness than on Nelson Mandela Square and we are honoured to be able to utilise the Square and harness our shoppers to use this day to show care to those who are less privileged. We are particularly excited to announce our 2012 beneficiary, Iphutheng Primary School. Many research studies have confirmed that children cannot perform at school if they are not properly nourished. Iphutheng Primary School already has a feeding scheme and we are delighted to be able to provide nourishment in the form of tinned food to this enterprising school. As you know a full tummy powers a healthy brain – our aim as the complex is to make a difference to a child’s life this Mandela Day once again.

From Monday, 2 July containers will be strategically placed in the complex. Shoppers are encouraged to add a few tins of food to their shopping lists and drop them into the ‘Donate a Can’ bins. They will be placed at the dome promotional court on the bridge in Nelson Mandela Square, outside Checkers Hyper and outside Woolworths in Sandton City.

On Friday, 13 July, SAfm will broadcast live from Nelson Mandela Square between 14:00 and 16:00. SAfm listeners, shoppers, tenants and corporates of the Sandton node will be encouraged to phone in and share their intentions for spending 67 minutes of community service in honour of Mandela Day.”

Added Swain, “This year we will also be extending the food donation challenge to all Nelson Mandela Square and Sandton City tenants as well as all corporates in the Sandton node through a SAfm Telethon challenge. This challenge will take place during the live broadcast on 13 July. Nedbank has played the opening gambit by donating 3000 cans of non-perishable food and challenges its colleagues in the corporate sector to raise the bar. We look forward to turning this praiseworthy effort into a community initiative to the benefit of our neighbours in need.”

"It is so easy to throw money at charities but opening your heart to their suffering gives these communities hope of a better tomorrow", says SAfm station manager, Dennis O"Donnell.

Nelson Mandela Square’s official Mandela Day celebrations will take place on Wednesday, 18 July at Iphutheng Primary School between 09:00 and noon when members of the Nelson Mandela Square, and SAfm management teams will hand over the cans of food collected and the books donated to the Iphutheng Primary School.

Concludes Swain, “With this initiative we are hoping to establish a meaningful annual event which celebrates International Mandela Day, pays tribute to the life and legacy of our global peace Icon, Nelson Mandela, creates awareness amongst future generations of the role he played in securing peace for South Africa and make a difference to the lives of those in need by creating a convenient collection point for non-perishable foodstuffs. We know our Nelson Mandela Square and Sandton City shoppers are generous and giving and we are looking forward to providing them with an opportunity to celebrate the day by reaching out to others.”