Johannesburg, 05 Aug 2016
This year, in honour of Madiba's legacy, Konica Minolta South Africa, a division of Bidvest Office, together with its environmental partner, Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA), planted 30 trees at the Riverlea Clinic, a public health organisation servicing a community of 23 000 in the west of Johannesburg.
At the event, Sister Busisiwe Matseoane, operations manager at the Riverlea Clinic, said: "A man plants a tree and a tree is a symbol of prosperity, as it is rooted in the ground and is of value to all of us. Moreover, Mandela Day is an important day for all South Africans to contribute the little they can, especially within their communities."
"I am excited to celebrate 67 minutes together with people that are giving to others, as this was Madiba's vision. Likewise, taking the time to be a part of this initiative as a country is a great symbolic gesture in honouring the icon," added Chris Wild, executive director at FTFA.
Konica Minolta South Africa is confident that in time, the trees at the Riverlea Clinic will provide shade to waiting patients in the open area and grow to bear nourishing fruit for both patients and staff along with other food from the clinic's vegetable garden.
The tree planting initiative also presented an ideal continuation of Konica Minolta South Africa's project, carried out earlier this year, when staff from the company followed in Madiba's footsteps across the province of his birth, the Eastern Cape, leaving a living, growing tribute to him in the form of 95 indigenous trees - one for each year of his life.
Ritchi Smith, national marketing coordinator at Konica Minolta South Africa, concluded: "It is great to observe that even after his passing, Nelson Mandela has remained a role model and symbol of triumph, justice and peace, not just to all South Africans but to everyone across the globe as well."
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