Carrying the Madiba Message

Members of New Dawn and the satellite club of Sandton Central with visitors at the statue. Karlien Kruger is between Julian Nagy and I, while Siobhan and Tony Reddy are between Ian Widdop and Linda. Koop Lammertsma is between Ian and Tony. The top photograph is of the replica of the Belem Tower in Lisbon

The 1 metre high statue of Nelson Mandela, a replica of the larger statue standing 6 metre tall in Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton, has already attracted a lot of attention since it was unveiled last year.
     The statue was the focus of New Dawn attention at our Wednesday morning meeting last week, which we held at Tashas restaurant on Mandela Square.
     The original Mandela statue has become one of the most visited tourist sites in South Africa and the addition of the smaller statue, mainly to accommodate sight impaired people and the disabled, has been getting equal, if not more, attention from visitors.
     The story of the Mandela statue started when PDG David and PDGA Margie Grant attended the Rotary International conference in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2014 and saw the miniature of the Belem Tower, honouring the Portuguese seafarers of the 15th and 16th centuries, that the Rotary Club of Lisbon had erected.
     The Belem tower, which dates from the 16th century, guards the entrance to the Lisbon harbour and is now one of the main tourist attractions in Lisbon and Portugal.
     David Grant told the gathering that everybody he approached agreed that a replica Mandela statue on Mandela Square was a brilliant idea. The sculptor, Kobus Hattingh, who lives in Mooinooi in Northwest Province, made a smaller statue standing about 40 cm high and this was shown to the SA Council of the Blind, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the owners of Nelson Mandela Square.

Linda Vink with the two Mandela statues

     Blind students were given the opportunity to interact with the miniature and give feedback, where the idea was born to make the statue at least 1 metre high.
     Because of rifts between factions in the ANC at the time, no corporates were willing to make funds available for the statue until the coal and heavy minerals mining company Exxaro came forward.
     The artist agreed to make two replica statues, one of which stands at the new Exxaro headquarters in Midrand.

Karlien Kruger cosying up to the Madiba replica as thousands of tourists do daily

     The statue and plinth have been designed so that it is impossible to steal the statue, as it stands outside and would no doubt become the target of enterprising thieves.
     David said it took them five years to get the statue erected, but the enthusiasm with which the idea was greeted, made the project worthwhile.
     In thanking him on behalf of New Dawn, Ian Widdop spoke of how he is struck by the energy whenever Rotarians get together.

PDG David Grant with Julian Nagy at the statue

The plaque behind the statue is being moved onto the front of the plinth, making the
 Rotary wheel even more visible

     The statue was unveiled on Black Friday (23rd November) last year and Paul Harris' were awarded to amongst others Kobus Hattingh and Jacob Maponyane, who helped the sculptor.
     "The statue and the thousands of photographs taken of it help Nelson Mandela's ethos of peace and reconciliation to be transmitted globally," Grant said.

Koop Lammertsma with the Mandela statues

     Apart from the eleven club members and the nine from Sandton Central, we also had four visitors, namely distinguished visiting professor Koop Lammertsma, Tony Reddy and his daughter, Siobhan and Karlien Kruger. Tony and Carolina Reddy are very close to being inducted as members, while Siobhan has already indicated that she is interested in membership, as has Karlien Kruger.
     It was a very successful visit and the turnout is an indication that we could consider more such outings in the future.

Judy Sligcher with the Mandela statue. Judy has agreed to be president for the coming Rotary year

Judy for President!
     At the board meeting yesterday afternoon Judy Sligcher's name was put forward to take over as president-elect now that Paul Kasango has asked to step down.
     The board accepted the nomination, as Judy has agreed to take on the task of being the next president. This will be put to the club at the business meeting on Wednesday and barring any dissenting voices, Judy's name will be forwarded to Rotary International, making her the third woman as president in succession after the very successful terms of Carol Stier and Linda Vink.
     Congratulations, Judy!
     The club also decided to donate R10000 to the District 9400 Mozambique Disaster Relief Fund, for which District 9400 has now also applied for a Global Grant.

A Few Reminders
     Tomorrow is a business meeting with no set speaker the time of writing. Much has been happening in the club lately, so it is bound to be interesting.
     Also, remember the Club Assembly on Saturday, 11th May at 9am to 11am at Twickenham Guest House. Possible projects will be the main focus of discussion, but please read the emails that Joan Donet has been sending out to follow the guidelines for the discussion.
     Last year we managed to collect a considerable number of Easter eggs for the people of Woodside Sanctuary and the 5Cees and we've been asked to donate some more this year. Easter is upon us, so please bring your contributions to the meeting tomorrow and the week after, it'll help to brighten up a few lives.
     A Thought for the Week: If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman. - Margaret Thatcher (1925 - 2013)