Nelson Mandela looks over a posy of roses named after him. The Nelson Mandela foundation is preparing events and other initiatives to mark the centenary of the birth of Mandela who became the country’s first black president. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The Nelson Mandela Foundation is preparing events and other initiatives this year to mark the centenary of the birth of the anti-apartheid leader who became South African’s first black president.
Sello Hatang, chief executive of the non-profit foundation, said Tuesday that its activities will include discussions on the challenges of poverty and racism in South Africa, which moved to democracy after the end of white minority rule in 1994.
The foundation will also launch a Mandela exhibit in September in Australia which will travel to Europe and the United States over the next five years. Several books will be published, including one containing letters written by Mandela when he was imprisoned during apartheid.
Mandela was born on July 18, 1918. He died in 2013 at the age of 95.
