South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, said on Wednesday that he had decided to contribute half of his presidential salary to a charity fund to be established soon.
This fund, which will be called the Nelson Mandela Thuma Mina Fund, will be managed by the Nelson Mandela Fund, Ramaphosa told MPs in the Presidency Budget Vote Debate in Parliament.
“This is a private, citizen-driven initiative that will ask all those with the means to contribute a small portion of their salaries to supporting the many small projects that build the nation,” the president said.
The fund will be launched on July 18 to mark the 100th anniversary of late President Nelson Mandela’s birth, according to Ramaphosa.
As president, Ramaphosa reportedly earns 3.6 million rand (about 293,000 dollars) per year.
“As we undertake this important work together, as we travel further along the path of growth and transformation, we are imbued with a new spirit,” the president said.
In truth, it is a spirit rekindled and it is the spirit of solidarity, service and a shared humanity, he said.
“It is the spirit that moved us to put our wars behind us, to cast aside our differences and to forge a nation of equals,” said Ramaphosa.
“By working together, by drawing on all our resources and capabilities, by embracing that unites us and confronting that divides us, I have no doubt that we will reach our destination,” Ramaphosa said.
Since taking power in February, Ramaphosa has been praised for leading by example, unlike his predecessor Jacob Zuma whose image was tainted by allegations of corruption and money squandering.
In March, Ramaphosa surprised fellow passengers, when he boarded a flight bound for Durban in economy class.
Earlier this month, he was seen taking his popular walk in White River, Mpumalanga Province as a way of keeping his promise to learn about the plight of ordinary people.
