The four-roomed house that is being built for a pensioner at Musina by the Black Management Forum (BMF) Limpopo and its partners, Musina Municipality, Price WaterHouse Coopers and Kulanie Engineering, is nearing completion.

The chairperson of the BMF in Limpopo, Mr Abram Luruli, said the initiative was part of the legacy of Nelson Mandela’s 92nd birthday celebration in response to the call for people everywhere to celebrate by acting on the idea that each person has the power to change the world and do something good for someone else. “The BMF and its partners felt that there was a need for us to change someone’s life during this historic occasion to celebrate our icon’s birthday. There is nothing more important and interesting than getting ready to volunteer our time as part of a worldwide celebration of Madiba’s special birthday and his many years of fighting for freedom in our country.”

Luruli thanked volunteers who had set aside everything to participate in the building of the house. “We are happy that our people have shown the spirit of nation building by being part of this initiative. Besides the celebration of Mandela’s birthday, we encourage people to continue giving back to their communities to fight against hunger, unemployment and underdevelopment.”

The beneficiary of the house, Mr Francis Mudau (68), could not hide his excitement over the acquisition of the new house. “I have been on the waiting list for a while and I am happy that God has answered my prayers. I would like to thank all the partners who made it possible for this initiative to be a reality. This will be a historic blessing for the rest of my life and more importantly, I would like to salute former South African president Nelson Mandela for his contribution in fighting for freedom for this country. His birthday has left me with a roof over my head. Now that I have a house, my only wish is to personally see Mandela and shake his hand before I die.”