Johannesburg political parties on Thursday unanimously supported the awarding of the freedom of the city to the city’s most famous resident, Nelson Mandela.
”They gave the executive mayor (Amos Masondo) a clear mandate to approach the former president,” city spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said.
The move was endorsed during a routine city council meeting.
He added the preferred date for conferring the honour would — subject to Mandela’s availability — be February 11, the day of his release from 27 years of imprisonment in 1990.
If he was not available a later date would be sought.
The city was keen to hold the event next year as part of its celebration of ten years of nonracial democracy.
Proposed activities for the celebration include a ticker tape parade in the city, a photographic exhibition, entitled First Five Days of Freedom, covering Mandela’s first five days out of prison, and establishing a Jo’burg Freedom Bursary scheme in Mandela’s honour for girl pupils following certain courses.
A boxing festival in conjunction with Boxing SA has also been proposed at the venue where Mandela practised the sport in his youth.
The council is also proposing renaming the Hillbrow tower to the Mandela Tower.
”It is one of the highest honours to be given to a person for their contribution to change the conditions of the lives of the people in the city,” said Modingoane.
The late Walter Sisulu, also at the forefront of the struggle, and Mandela’s close friend was the last person the receive the honour. – Sapa