South Africa celebrates Mandela Day, marking the 93rd birthday of the country’s first black president, with each citizen urged to donate 67 minutes for volunteer work — a minute for every year he devoted himself to the anti-apartheid struggle. Celebrations kick off at 0605 GMT with some 12.4 million children in schools around the country singing “Happy Birthday”
His foundation has urged people to do 67 minutes of voluntary work on the day – to represent the 67 years he devoted to South Africa’s political struggle.
The anti-apartheid icon is expected to spend the day with family in his home village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape.
Millions of school children have simultaneously sung him a special birthday song.
It is not clear whether the target of 12.4m was reached to set a new world record for the number of people singing to an individual at the same time.
The song Happy Birthday Tata Madiba – specially composed for his 93rd birthday was sung at school assemblies across the country.
Ban Ki-moon UN secretary-general
Mr Mandela, who is a hero to many in South Africa and around the world for his long fight against white minority rule, has appeared increasingly frail since he retired from public life in 2004.
He has been receiving round-the-clock medical care at home following his release from hospital in January where he was treated for an acute respiratory infection, says the BBC’s Nomsa Maseko in Johannesburg.
Known to South Africans by his clan name Madiba, Mr Mandela has not appeared at a public engagement since the closing ceremony of the football World Cup in July 2010.
A photo released ahead of his birthday shows him smiling and surrounded by members of his family.
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