The launch of the Mandela 1 Million T-Shirt Campaign in a local Epping factory saw Mayor Patricia de Lille expressing the city council’s commitment to support all efforts that grow and create jobs for local people.
“The clothing and textile sector remains an important industry in our city and the City of Cape Town is committed to support its efforts to grow and create jobs for our residents,” she said.
De Lille, Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) director of communications and outreach Luzuko Koti and Trade Call Investments Apparel (TCIA) group chief executive Herman Pillay, spoke at the event held at the TCIA Design Centre yesterday.
As part of celebrating the centenary year of former president Nelson Mandela, the NMF and TCIA joined in a grand venture to manufacture and sell a million T-shirts globally, with the aim of uniting the global community in the spirit of Madiba.
“I hope to see hundreds of thousands of Capetonians on the streets wearing our Madiba T-shirts while we are out serving our communities and showing compassion to one another,” said De Lille.
Every aspect of the T-shirts - from the cotton grown in South Africa, to the manufacturing and printing done in the country - is embedded in the African DNA, said Koti.
“The T-shirts depict an image of Mandela’s face and consist of 240 words associated with his vision, wisdom and legacy,” he said.
Koti said since the start of the 100 days leading up to Madiba’s centenary on July 18, the T-shirt had been worn by many notable people such as President Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President David Mabuza, Minister in the Presidency Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Energy Minister Jeff Radebe.
“The Springboks also wore the T-shirts in the US ahead of their showdown with Wales,” said Koti.