News / Local
Bulawayo honours Mandela with freedom of city award
12 Dec 2013 at 14:26hrs | Views
THE Bulawayo City Council has posthumously awarded the prestigious Freedom of The City award to former South African president and anti-apartheid struggle icon, Nelson Mandela, who died last Thursday at the sage of 95.
Mandela becomes the second former South African head of state after Thabo Mbeki to receive the honour.
Council's senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu confirmed that South Africa's favourite son would be officially conferred with the city's highest civic award soon.
Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo said the award was aimed at perpetuating Mandela's legacy of giving and sharing.
He said the resolution to award Freedom of the City to Mandela has been concluded and was awaiting signing.
"It (the award) has been granted to Mandela through a council resolution but the signing ceremony of that order has not been done," Clr Moyo said.
"There is an overwhelming interest across the city to do something about the death of the world icon. We have many of our citizens in South Africa and here in Zimbabwe we have many Xhosa speaking people," said Clr Moyo.
Clr Moyo said he conveyed a message of condolence for the city at the South African Embassy in Harare on Wednesday.
Bulawayo has a twinning relationship with the South African cities of Durban and Polokwane.
Tomorrow at 9am, Bulawayo residents, civic organisations, churches and politicians will gather at Bulawayo Amphitheatre for an event to honour Mandela.
One of the organisers of the event, Reverend Useni Sibanda said tomorrow's programme would include among other things, solidarity messages from the business community, different church denominations, cultural groups, traditional leaders, residents and politicians.
Mandela's death plunged the world into mourning with world leaders describing Madiba, as he was affectionately known, as a humble yet fearless and principled man.
An emotional memorial service for Mandela was held at a packed FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday where world leaders from more than 90 countries, including President Mugabe, gathered.
About 2 000 members of the public are said to be viewing his body every hour at the stadium, where millions have gathered for arguably the biggest funeral wake the world has ever witnessed.
Mandela will be buried in his ancestral village in Qunu, Eastern Cape province, on Sunday.
Mandela becomes the second former South African head of state after Thabo Mbeki to receive the honour.
Council's senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu confirmed that South Africa's favourite son would be officially conferred with the city's highest civic award soon.
Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo said the award was aimed at perpetuating Mandela's legacy of giving and sharing.
He said the resolution to award Freedom of the City to Mandela has been concluded and was awaiting signing.
"It (the award) has been granted to Mandela through a council resolution but the signing ceremony of that order has not been done," Clr Moyo said.
"There is an overwhelming interest across the city to do something about the death of the world icon. We have many of our citizens in South Africa and here in Zimbabwe we have many Xhosa speaking people," said Clr Moyo.
Clr Moyo said he conveyed a message of condolence for the city at the South African Embassy in Harare on Wednesday.
Bulawayo has a twinning relationship with the South African cities of Durban and Polokwane.
Tomorrow at 9am, Bulawayo residents, civic organisations, churches and politicians will gather at Bulawayo Amphitheatre for an event to honour Mandela.
One of the organisers of the event, Reverend Useni Sibanda said tomorrow's programme would include among other things, solidarity messages from the business community, different church denominations, cultural groups, traditional leaders, residents and politicians.
Mandela's death plunged the world into mourning with world leaders describing Madiba, as he was affectionately known, as a humble yet fearless and principled man.
An emotional memorial service for Mandela was held at a packed FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday where world leaders from more than 90 countries, including President Mugabe, gathered.
About 2 000 members of the public are said to be viewing his body every hour at the stadium, where millions have gathered for arguably the biggest funeral wake the world has ever witnessed.
Mandela will be buried in his ancestral village in Qunu, Eastern Cape province, on Sunday.
Source - Byo24News
