Mandela Day at the Suurman Community Library, Hammanskraal, 18 July 2017

The essence of Mandela Day is to observe that each of us has the power to transform the world and has the ability to make an impact on other people’s lives - no matter how small.

On Mandela Day, 18th July 2017, the following staff members of the Department of Library Services volunteered to represent the University of Pretoria, their profession (librarianship) and their library organization LIASA MAIG (Library and Information Association of South Africa’s Marketing and Advocacy Interest Group) on a visit to the Suurman Community Library at Hammanskraal:  Gerda Ehlers, Mpume Hlatshwayo, Vuyi Mahleka, Timothy Matheba, Josephine Modiba, Mercia Moreana, Anastasia Ntuli, Elsabé Olivier, Lungile Rathepe and Johanna Shika. The National Library of South Africa was represented by Marieta van der Merwe who is also a LIASA MAIG Committee member.

The visiting librarians were warmly welcomed by Daniel Maisela, Librarian of the Suurman Community Library and his staff members as well as a group of hundred and fifty children and their parents. The programme consisted of an introduction of the library staff members, a poem recital by Zinhle Masanabo, dances by Vincent & friend, a music performance by Austin Jae Flexz and a short introduction by Elsabé Olivier who promoted the University of Pretoria as an academic institution. She also spoke of the value that libraries add to everyone’s life on a daily basis. Marieta van der Merwe held a quick quiz and the fortunate winners each received a book sponsored by Marinda Maritz, Fay Fabris-Rotelli and Nikki Haw of the Department of Library Services.

The organizer of this event, Mrs Olivier, wishes to thank the Suurman Community Library’s enthusiastic staff members for promoting this event so well and for all their arrangements, the LIASA MAIG Committee who assisted with all the planning of the day, the UP library staff members who volunteered their time as well as the University of Pretoria campus bookstore, Bookmark, who kindly sponsored refreshments and beanies for all the children who attended our festivities.  

Just the very next day Daniel Maisela sent the following letter of thanks:

“Thank you very much for yesterday’s programme. It was so good and successful and educational as well. The staff of Suurman community library are very thankful for the first ever programme took place yesterday as we have successfully celebrated Monday day (67 minutes) together with you. We really appreciated you for being part of it, and also making it success in various ways. We enjoyed every moment of it. We really appreciate a lot, your presence played an important role to our community at large. We always appreciate your support and please keep the good work you are doing. Please keep on supporting us and thank you very much for your contribution. From Suurman community especially those participated in the programme are so excited. They like to see such an initiative continuing. We followed your Facebook page and managed to see the nice and beautiful pictures. That was so unique and successful programme indeed. Many thanks to you again. Everything it was so perfect. “It always seems impossible until it’s done”.

Mpume Hlatshwayo concludes: “The most important part of the day was to commemorate and celebrate the life of Tata Nelson Mandela. Seeing those young ones smiling while receiving the goodies was the most fun part of the day for me. We really enjoyed the day!”

The photographs of Mandela Day 2017 can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/UPLibraryServices/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10154792071636705

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