Every year, on July 18, the world celebrates Nelson Mandela International Day in honour of freedom fighter and former South African President, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

Mandela Day which coincides with the former President’s birthday promotes the spirit of humanity by encouraging every individual to dedicate 67 minutes of their time to doing community work.

As a way of celebrating this day, Crispin Hemson, Director of the International Centre of Nonviolence (ICON) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), and a group of student leaders from DUT’s Durban Leadership Programme spent the day picking up refuse at Lindelani, Ntuzuma.

The team picked up refuse lying on the sides of the stream that runs through what locals are now referring to as the Peace Forest.

The Lindelani community through a local activist, Sibusiso Xaba, reached out to ICON. The peace forest project started in April 2018 and will continue for a period of six months. There are very few peace gardens known to be around the world. This is the first to be developed by ICON. The group of DUT students, working with local community members, cleared some alien vegetation in the forest, watered trees they had previously planted, and collected a large amount of refuse.

The Durban Leadership Programme has an emphasis on ethical leadership, where a leader’s role is that of serving the community. Future plans for the Peace Forest include re-opening a trail through it, and establishing an area as a sanctuary for relaxation and peace.

For some part of the day the group were also joined by learners from Hilda Makhanya Primary School, who united enthusiastically in the activity. “This was a messy process but one that built solidarity in the group. It was very satisfying to relax afterwards and eat some simple but good food,’’ said Hemson.

Pictured: DUT students and learners from Hilda Makhanya Primary School helping to clean up refuse at Lindelani.

Waheeda Peters