CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday that he will contribute half of his Presidential salary to a fund to be managed by the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The president made the statement during his Presidency Budget Vote in Parliament.
Ramaphosa said that the Nelson Mandela foundation will direct the resources to small social projects scattered across the country.
This fund will be launched on the 18th of July to mark the 100th anniversary of Madiba’s birth and will be called the #ThumaMina Fund.
"As we undertake this important work together, as we travel further along the path of growth and transformation, we are imbued with a new spirit. In truth, it is a spirit rekindled", Ramaphosa said.
"In memory of Madiba, in recognition of the great sacrifices he made and his tireless commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable, We are looking for people with skills, time and commitment to ‘lend a hand’ to community-based projects", the president added.
President #Ramaphosa: Our overriding concern in all matters of governance is to put the people first #PresidencyBudget pic.twitter.com/4UU8X8jyK7
— PresidencyZA (@PresidencyZA) May 23, 2018
The president also said that South Africans are coming forward as agents of meaningful change.
"From the professionals who mentor young people, to the businesses that support emerging entrepreneurs and the NGOs who care for the homeless, the elderly and the vulnerable, South Africans are coming forward. Across the country, there are many people – many of whom who do not have much themselves – who are working to improve the lives of others.
From the churches that are running soup kitchens, to the pensioners who are caring for orphans."