House of Mercy Church in the Town Centre along with the American International School of Cape Town, The Royal Group, the South African Police Services (SAPS) and many others, spent their 67 minutes of giving back on Mandela Day by feeding and entertaining the community.
The host of the event, Naomi Claassen said: “The purpose of this event is to celebrate the legacy of our former president, Nelson Mandela, affectionately known as Madiba.
“We as this church took the opportunity to serve our community with something to eat and drink as well as a word of encouragement. We as citizens have a responsibility to look after those who are poor and in need.”
The pastor of House of Mercy, Julian Claassen, said: “The legacy of Nelson Mandela is one of peace, and that is the message we want to communicate to our community, city and country. Our church is a place of hope, healing, rest, restoration, identity and royalty.”
The admissions and marketing director of the American International School of Cape Town, Helen Petersen, added: “This is a very auspicious occasion for us. We are very happy to serve this community. I came to Mitchell’s Plain 21 years ago with former superintendent and director of Social Services, Virginia Petersen and former president Nelson Mandela to inspect the streets of Mitchell’s Plain. To come back again, is such an honour.”
Constable Julian Jacobs, from Muizenberg SAPS, said the community could help fight crime by providing information about crime to police. And, he added: “We need to continue to encourage our young people, invest in them and empower them.”