Culture

Former private secretary to Nelson Mandela, Zelda la Grange, has roped in the Hemel and Aarde Brewery and her friends to made 27 000 cups of soup for Mandela Day.

  • Zelda la Grange wanted to donate 27 000 cups of soup to Zwelihle residents in Hermanus on Mandela Day. 
  • Her friends matched the donation so that she doubled her target.
  • Through their Kolisi foundation, Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi and his wife Rachel also donated 300 food parcels.

Former private secretary to Nelson Mandela, Zelda la Grange, roped in the Hemel and Aarde Brewery to “brew” 27 000 cups of soup for Mandela Day on Saturday, 18 July.
And she assembled a team of friends to chop up carrots and clean butternuts.
Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi and his wife Rachel rolled up their sleeves and joined the crew of veggie slicers and dicers.
Through their Kolisi foundation, they also donated 300 food parcels that will be distributed in Zwelithle, in Hermanus.
Rachel told News24 that they were honoured to help on this special day. 
“This was something at the heart of our foundation. Our slogan is: ‘Remember the one, one by one.’ Anyone can contact us for assistance and we will help where we can,” she said.
“Zelda is a close friend of ours and when she called and asked for help, it was only an honour for us. We can’t wait to get into the community and give back,” she added. 
The foundation has helped several families in South Africa through relief efforts in vulnerable communities. 
“Our aim in the future is to make sure that there aren’t any families that need help, that mothers and the youth have been taken care of,” Kolisi said. “This will allow them to focus on parenting and making sure the youth have a better future,” she added. 
The Springbok flank remembered that he too received helped while growing up.
“It’s important for me to give back because without the community that I came from, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” he said.
“I used to walk around with a cup asking for mielie meal or rice, and they helped me,” he added. 
Le Grange also turns 50 this year and it was her wish to feed communities in the Overstrand. 
She was grateful to have the support of famous friends to help her spread the Madiba magic. 
“People can relate to people like Siya and Ivan Zimmerman because they are part of our nation,” she said. 
“Hopefully, they can inspire others to participate in the initiative. If we each one, feed one, we can make a big difference in South Africa.”
Her wish came true after her international friends generously decided to match her donation.
“I didn’t think we would be able to make my original 27 000 cups of soup and now we have double… I am over the moon. This is the best birthday gift ever,” she said with a smile.
Le Grange will be able provide more than 50 000 cups of soup and 600 food parcels.