President Cyril Ramaphosa has lauded the Global Citizen Festival for its
work, calling on South Africans and people of the world to be the generation
that ends poverty.
ˇ§We are united in Madibaˇ¦s vision of a world where every human being lives
in freedom and prosperity. His spirit is the driving force behind the Global
Citizen movement.
ˇ§By your mere presence here, you have declared that poverty is a stain on
the conscience of humanity, and that we will all work together to end
poverty.
ˇ§Let us be part of this mission. Let us be the generation that ends
poverty,ˇ¨ said the President.
The Global Citizen Festival, which is an annual music festival organised by
the Global Poverty Project, took place at the FNB Stadium on Sunday, 2
December 2018.
The project is a movement that seeks to bring an end to extreme poverty by
2030 as part of the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Global Citizen works across the 17 global goals, including food and
nutrition, water and sanitation, girls and women, the environment, health,
finance and innovation.
This year, the movement saw several South Africans take part in actions and
activities that seek to bring an end to the global challenges.
Through the actions taken, R98 billion was raised for various causes.
President Ramaphosa topped it up, bringing the figure to R100 billion.
ˇ§R98 billion has been made tonight and we as South Africans will top it up
to R100 billion,ˇ¨ said President Ramaphosa.
The R100 billion, coupled with 57 major commitments on education, sanitation
and health, is set to affect the lives of 137 368 628 people.
The festival formed part of the centenary celebrations of the late former
statesman and global icon, President Nelson Mandela.
Renowned talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, who was tasked with introducing the
President, called on people to embody Madibaˇ¦s values of humanity.
ˇ§Every one of us has the ability to comfort and strengthen somebody through
small acts of kindness and in doing so, we create a much deeper faith in
humanity,ˇ¨ she said.
Presenting the headline acts at the Global Citizen Festival, American
comedian Dave Chapelle described Beyoncé and Jay-Z as representatives of the
black movement.
And they lived up to the description by putting on a show celebrating black
culture and encouraging the theme of love as an emotion that transcends all
challenges.
The couple gave the scores of people in attendance a show to remember with
electric performances that saw them pair up with both international and
local artists.
Partner and host of the Global Citizen Movement, Patrice Motsepe of the
Motsepe Foundation, pledged billions towards the SDGs.
Motsepe announced that his family, under his charity foundation, would
donate R3,5 billion to assist with the SDGs and the issue of land reform in
the country.
On this, he was joined by, among others, Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini;
leader of the Zion Christian Church, Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane; and leaders
of AgriSA, the Black Farmersˇ¦ Association, African Farmers Association of
South Africa, and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).
ˇV Source: SAnews.gov.za