Cape Town – The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) will launch commemorative banknotes to honour Nelson Mandela’s centenary, it said in a statement on Sunday.
Commemorative notes will be made for all existing banknotes, in addition to a new R5 coin which will be circulated by the South African Mint. The commemorative banknotes are expected to be circulated from July 18, the day of Mandela’s birth.
“Nelson Mandela represented the best version of ourselves as
South Africans. We unveiled the current Mandela series of banknotes in 2012 to
honour him,” Governor Lesetja Kganyago said.
“While preserving the value of money is our main mandate, our purpose is to be a bastion of institutional strength, contributing to a stable and prosperous economy that serves the well-being of all South Africans, and guided in part by Madiba’s values.”
The notes and coin will be circulated alongside existing notes and coin, the Reserve Bank said. Further details, including what the notes will look like will be communicated to the public at a later stage.
The ANC is celebrating Mandela’s release from prison, 28
years ago to this day, February 11. Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa attended a
church service at St George’s cathedral in Cape Town, ahead of the programme on Sunday afternoon.
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