#MandelaDay 2025: A Celebration of Service, Unity, and Hope
On Friday, 18 July 2025, sleeves were rolled up and people that care for the earth gathered in true Madiba spirit to honour the legacy of one of the world’s greatest leaders. Mandela Day continues to be a global call to action and an annual reminder to spend (at least) 67 minutes paying it forward or being or service to those in need, symbolising the 67 years Nelson Mandela dedicated to fighting for justice and equality.
In Durban, this call was met with warmth, purpose, and a powerful show of unity. The WESSA team based in Durban, alongside committed partners from the eThekwini Municipality and the Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Narend Singh, rolled up sleeves for a coastal cleanup at Dakota Beach.
As part of #PlasticFreeJuly and WESSA’s #StopTheStrangle campaign, our teams are involved in regular coastal site cleanups, a key action critical in protecting South Africa’s marine life from harmful pollution.
Pictured above: Dakota Beach Cleanup, from left to right: Malixole Buthelezi (Environmental Education Intern); Zamajama Ngceza (Marine and Coastal Intern); Nokwazi Zulu (Marine and Coastal Intern); Lindokuhle Mkhize (Coastal Programmes and Sustainable Tourism Project Manager)
The power of community, compassion, and collective action
In a beautiful extension of service, the team then moved to Sparks Estate Cheshire Home, bringing with them not just donations, but the right tools to create a food garden on-site. WESSA donated vegetable seedlings (cabbage, green peppers, spinach, chillies, onions) and gardening tools to enable recipients to grow and sustain their own vegetable produce for the long term. The Zero Waste Africa team took the lead in educating participants and providing them with practical demonstrations on sustainable gardening practices, including how to create compost using both raw and cooked food waste, and introduced the concept of companion planting to enhance garden productivity. Although WESSA typically provides a similar food garden training component during such initiatives, we are grateful to work with partners to extend the reach and impact. The garden now stands as a living tribute to Mandela’s belief in dignity through self-reliance.
The spirit of giving was felt deeply as various stakeholders also donated essential food items and household goods, bringing hope and joy to the children of Sparks Cheshire Home.
Pictured above: Food and essential donations from stakeholders. Seedlings and gardening tools donated by WESSA.
Pictured above: The WESSA team establishing a food garden at Sparks Estate Cheshire Home
Pictured above: Planting session in progress