President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will donate half of his presidential salary this year to a new fund, which is to be launched in honour of the 100th anniversary of former president Nelson Mandela’s birth.
Ramaphosa was addressing the National Assembly on Wednesday for his first presidential budget vote debate speech.
In memory of Madiba, in recognition of the great sacrifices he made and his tireless commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable, there is something that many of us can do.
“We are looking for people with skills, time and commitment to ‘lend a hand’ to these community-based projects through mentoring, training and capacity building.
“In this way, we aim to provide South Africans with a tangible opportunity, with a significant impact, to be an integral part of the fight against poverty.
“I have decided to contribute to half my presidential salary to a fund that will be managed by the Nelson Mandela Fund.
“This is a private, citizen-driven initiative that will ask all those with the means to contribute a small portion of their salaries to supporting the many small projects that build the nation.
“This fund will be launched on the 18th of July to mark the 100th anniversary of Madiba’s birth and will be called the Nelson Mandela Thuma Mina Fund.”