By Nokuthula Khwela
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation (MRF) is pleased to announce its 20th anniversary celebration, which coincides with the 10th anniversary of the death of the Foundation’s founding patron, former President Nelson Mandela.
The Foundation has many preparations in place to commemorate this significant occasion between May and July. The Mandela Rhodes Foundation’s CEO, Judy Sikuza, will conduct an Africa Day event with alumni and stakeholders in New York City on May 25. The event will commemorate and reflect on the last two decades, as well as raise awareness about the organization’s mission among new stakeholders who will attend.
The first 20 years of the MRF’s history and achievements have been captured in a new book titled The Audacious Experiment: The Mandela Rhodes Story, co-authored by Shaun Johnson, the late founding CEO of the MRF, and Professor Elleke Boehmer. The book tells the founding story of the MRF, and features past scholars and their impactful contributions to Africa’s development.
The book will be launched on Friday the 14th of July, and the celebrations will culminate in a gala evening on Saturday the 15th, featuring a special performance by the Ndlovu Youth Choir. Both events will feature panel discussions with VIP guests on the theme The courage to be unpopular: lessons on leading in complex times, as a way of bringing Nelson Mandela’s leadership legacy to life in the present moment
Professor Njabulo S. Ndebele, Chairman of the MRF’s board, said “The Mandela Rhodes Foundation was tasked by Mr Mandela with developing exceptional leadership capacity for all African nations. We are tremendously proud of what The Foundation has been able to achieve in its first 20 years. As we prepare the next generation for success, we see that Africa will need ethical leaders with outstanding education, and the skills to bring people together across all kinds of divides. I am confident that The Mandela Rhodes Foundation is poised to meet this need.”
“We are reflecting on our journey by celebrating our history and the impact of the Mandela Rhodes Scholars. At our events, we will honour friends of the Foundation who have played vital roles in our past as well as our emerging future. The 10-year anniversary of Madiba’s passing is an apt moment to reflect on his leadership approach, principles and lessons, and their relevance in today’s complex, global context. As part of these celebrations, we are therefore convening thought leaders to inspire our audiences, drawing on lessons from their own leadership journeys and that of Mr Mandela,” said Judy Sikuza, CEO of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation.
The concepts of reconciliation, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership are at the heart of the Foundation’s programs. The Mandela Rhodes Foundation has so far awarded 622 scholarships to outstanding young students and future leaders from 33 African nations and 35 disciplines.
Many of them have gone on to have significant careers, advancing the Africa envisioned by Mandela, who wanted to “close the circle of history” when the Foundation was established by utilizing Cecil John Rhodes’ resources for the advancement of Africa and assisting in addressing the inequalities left by the grave legacies of colonialism and apartheid.
Despite significant progress on the African continent in developing the next generation of leaders, more has to be done to provide talented people with opportunities. access to opportunities – notably for young people, many of whom have the capacity to develop their professions through higher educational prospects.
Sikuza concluded ‘We hope that by celebrating the legacy of Nelson Mandela through a series of events across the world, we can activate the ubuntu and positive change we all need’.
