JOHANNESBURG – Hollywood’s famous singer Beyonce led all-stars at the concert occurred in honor of Nelson Mandela on Sunday (yesterday). Thousands of people turned out at the concert in order to tribute the life of Nelson Mandela.
The event, held to mark 100 years since the birth of South Africa’s first black president, Mandela, who was being imprisoned for nearly three decades for his fight against the apartheid regime was organized by advocacy group Global Citizen. It also aimed to highlight the fight against poverty, gender inequality and hunger, causes that Mandela championed.
World Bank President Jim Kim was among a number of political and business leaders attending the event and he announced a $1 billion (£784.2 million) investment in health and education across Africa in 2019.
“Be-yo-nce! Be-yo-nce!,” chanted a group of ladies as they waited in a long queue to enter Johannesburg’s FNB stadium, where Jay-Z, Usher and Ed Sheeran were also set to perform.
The crowd was witnessed wearing Global Citizen T-shirts and temporary tattoos on their shoulders, cheered, danced and cried at the sight of their favorite artists.
Many fans had been given free tickets in exchange for signing petitions and sending tweets to world leaders, urging them to take action to improve education, water supplies, sanitation, health, and other issues.
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta appeared via video link and pledged to increase his country’s education budget to 30 percent of the total budget.
Richard Branson, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, announced donations in millions towards ending trachoma a disease that causes blindness.
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“I’m from a neighborhood where small kids falling into pit latrines at school or home is a common occurrence,” Lucia Cele, an IT specialist told Reuters. “So to hear such commitments towards issues like sanitation is very encouraging for our society. “Let their commitments not end here, tonight at this stadium.”
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During his life, Mandela had led South Africa to its first free elections in 1994.
He died on 5 December 2013.
