South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe announced on Sunday that his family, under his charity foundation, will donate R3.5 billion to help with the contentious issue of land reform in the country and the sustainable development goals.
Motsepe was speaking at the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, and was joined by, among others, Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, leader of the Zion Christian Church Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane, and leaders of AgriSA, the Black Farmers Association, African Farmers Association of South Africa, and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).
"What we are going to do, as the Motsepe family, is we are going to contribute R3.5 billion to help with the process of land reform in this country. The amount is about US250 million," Motsepe said.
"We want to give a moment of hope, we want to give a moment of inspiration for all of the people of this rainbow nation. We are coming together as leaders in South Africa. We are coming together in unity as leaders and are committed to working together to ensure that the current land reform process will result in land with the requisite support and skills being made available to black people living in rural areas," he said.
This after governments and corporate companies already pledged billions of dollars in support for initiatives geared at ending poverty around the world at the concert to celebrate the centenary of South Africa's first democratic president. The money raised will go to addressing many social ills, such as providing decent sanitation in schools and others.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who tweeted to South African comedian Trevor Noah, thanking him for everything he was doing to celebrate Nelson Mandela's legacy, pledged US$50 million towards education.
The Vodacom Foundation announced that it would invest almost R500 million in fighting gender-based violence, enhancing sanitation in schools, and enhancing digital literacy for teachers, learners, youth, and in early-childhood development centres.
Mozambican Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário announced a US30 million partnership with governments in southern Africa to help eradicate diseases. President Cyril Ramaphosa also announced that South Africa would top up the pledges that had been made with a further R2 billion.
"R98 billion has been made tonight and we as South Africans will top it up to R100 billion. Let us be part of this mission. Let us be the generation that ends poverty," Ramaphosa said.
Global Citizen worked in partnership with a number of organisations to bring the festival to South Africa, including the Motsepe Foundation, House of Mandela, and a number of partners, and 25 local NGOs and organisations.
African News Agency/ANA
