PM to deliver Nelson Mandela lecture

Prime Minister Mia Mottley will deliver the prestigious 20th Annual Nelson Mandela Lecture in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal in November.

According to organisers of the event, Mottley will speak on issues related to climate change and food insecurity which have already earned her international recognition.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation, in announcing the Barbadian leader as the keynote speaker for this year’s lecture, said it had been following her work for a few years and it was on board with her call for action on climate change.

“Her Excellency Mia Mottley was recently crowned a Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environmental Programme for her incredible work in raising the alarm on the crisis climate change poses on vulnerable developing states….The impact of her work became even more significant for us following the devastating impact of floods in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal,” said Sello Hatang, chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

In April this year, heavy rains and catastrophic floods wreaked havoc on South Africa’s east coast, killing more than 400 people and destroying thousands of homes and critical infrastructure.

“Our relief efforts taught us that our communities are in need of sustainable solutions to deal with issues of climate change. I do not doubt that we need to come together to find sustainable solutions to the desolation climate change is having on nations of the global south,” Hatang said.

The Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture is a platform used to drive debate on significant social issues. It is an important event on the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s calendar geared towards encouraging dialogue about challenging social issues.

The exact date and venue of this year’s lecture will be announced soon. (SD/PR)