KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna Municipality invites Greater Knysna to celebrate Mandela Month by becoming living examples of Nelson Mandela's legacy of compassion, tolerance and humanitarianism that continues to inspire the world.

In celebration of Madiba's birthday and the spirit of Ubuntu, municipal staff and business partners will participate in a number of activities dedicated to those in need in and around 18 July.

• Thanks to the generosity of Cape Island Homes, Bukho Construction, Colarossi Civil, and Nyameko Trading, the integrated human settlements department is able to start the construction of four BNG (Breaking New Ground) housing units in Greater Knysna, which will offer much-needed support for vulnerable households and persons with special needs.
• The technical services directorate chose to align their 67 minutes by fixing potholes. Senior managers and other technical staff who know how to fix potholes will be out in the CBD on Thursday.
• Mandela believed nobody deserves to go to sleep hungry, and keeping that in mind, the Rheenendal community vegetable garden will receive much-needed attention on the 18th as well. This garden was started back in 2016 and by now the soil needs to be replenished and new vegetables planted.

Nurturing a love of reading

• On 18 June, library staff and the Rheenendal Women's Group plan to take 60 disadvantaged and marginalised children under their wing. Because some of them are not enrolled in any early childhood development facilities, this programme aims to nurture a love of reading and encourage them to attend school to better themselves. The programme will kick off at 11:00 at the Rheenendal Library.

Feeding the homeless

• To further assist in alleviating hunger within Greater Knysna, the social development department, in partnership with the Knysna Women's Forum, are planning a Clothing and Soup Drive on 20 July, for the benefit of the homeless. "The streets can be a very hostile environment, offering little respite, especially during the cold winter months," said Knysna mayor Mark Willemse. "I am extremely grateful to the Knysna Women's Forum for joining forces with us in providing some much-needed relief to these homeless souls. I ask that the public dig through their wardrobes for possible men, women and children's clothing that could be distributed on this day."
  "We would be honoured if residents would join us in celebrating Madiba's life and in doing so bringing together our communities while fighting poverty and promoting peace, reconciliation and cultural diversity… Let us look beyond what has been done and live every day with Mandela's mindset, and do whatever we can do to make Greater Knysna and our communities a better place for all," concluded Willemse.

How to get involved

For further information on the various municipal Mandela projects, contact Nandipha September at 044 302 6430 or email [email protected].

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