Deputy President to attend Mandela lecture

By Ofentse Mokae
10 July 2009

The Nelson Mandela Foundation is to host the annual Nelson Mandela lecture in Johannesburg, where deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe will attend as guest.

The lecture was inaugurated by the foundation seven years ago, on the former statesman’s birthday.

The lecture will be held at the Johannesburg city hall, and will be hosted by Professor Muhammad Yunus.

Yunus is founder and managing director of Grameen Bank and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner will be focusing on “investment in the marginalised as a way of creating wealth and combating poverty” said the foundation in statement.

The lecture will also host some of the country’s top government officials, business leaders and international delegates.

Discussions will focus on ways to eradicate poverty. In his discussion Yunus raised questions such as are some people poor? Could it be different? What needs to change?

These were also some of the questions that were being discussed today at a dialogue in Johannesburg, convened by the Nelson Mandela Foundation in partnership with Women’s Development Businesses

In his dialogue, entitled “In conversation with Professor Muhammad Yunus”, aims to encourage an exchange of ideas about banking, micro financing, micro credit and business between Professor Muhammad Yunus and invited members of the South African public.