Malala Yousafzai to deliver Nelson Mandela annual lecture

Pakistan’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai will deliver the 21st Nelson Mandela annual lecture on December 5 in Johannesburg.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation said on Monday the lecture holds special significance as it coincides with the 10th anniversary of Mandela’s death.

Taking to X — formerly known as Twitter — the NMF acting Chief Executive Verne Harris said: “Scheduled for 5 December 2023, this lecture holds special significance as it coincides with the tenth anniversary of Madiba’s passing.”

Mandela, who died in 2013 aged 95, became South Africa’s first black president in 1994. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his efforts to promote racial reconciliation in his racially scarred nation.

“Malala Yousafzai embodies the type of leadership we believe the world needs across all levels of society. In the face of current global challenges, which can seem daunting, she stands as an inspiring symbol of hope for a just and equitable future,” said Harris.

It is pertinent to mention here that Malala — the world’s youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner — will be the youngest speaker who will deliver the Nelson Mandela lecture.