Sanlam’s Board Chairman Roy Andersen and Deputy Chairman Patrice Motsepe with Nelson Mandela
June 18, 2008 – Nelson Mandela today received an early birthday present, exactly a month before he turns 90. Mr Mandela accepted a cheque for R3-million from the Sanlam Ubuntu-Botho empowerment partnership.
The donation was made to the Nelson Mandela Endowment Fund to help ensure that the work of the Nelson Mandela Foundation continues.
“We welcome this partnership and we are sure that it will lead to a long-term relationship that will help ensure the sustainability of the Nelson Mandela Foundation,” said the Foundation’s chief executive officer, Achmat Dangor.
He explained that the donation would go towards developing a world-class Centre of Memory and Dialogue at the Nelson Mandela Foundation that would honour not only the life and work of Mr Mandela, but “all those who helped in the transition of South Africa”.
Patrice Motsepe, chairman of Sanlam’s empowerment partner, Ubuntu-Botho, said that Mr Mandela “represents an inspiration to all of us”. He added: “It is a great privilege for us that we can today contribute this R3-million and, as I said to Achmat [Dangor], we are going to give much, much more.”
Sanlam’s group chief executive, Dr Johan van Zyl, said: “Through this partnership we strive to live and expand the values of transformation and empowerment, imprinted by Mr Mandela, to the business world. With our associate, Santam, which also turns 90 this year, we are therefore pleased to support the legacy of Mr Mandela through the Ubuntu-Botho Community Development Trust.”
Ubuntu-Botho is a broad-based black economic empowerment consortium which owns a shareholding in Sanlam, a financial services institution.