Johannesburg, 22 October 2025
It’s all systems go for one of South Africa’s most anticipated annual intellectual gatherings. The Nelson Mandela Foundation is set to host the 23rd Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture this Saturday, 25 October, at the Sandton Convention Centre. This year’s lecture will be delivered by Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, under the theme “Enhancing Peace and Global Cooperation.”
Originally scheduled for the Linder Auditorium, the event was moved to accommodate a larger audience after all tickets sold out in just 30 minutes, a testament to the overwhelming public interest in Albanese’s address and the global significance of this year’s topic.
A Voice of Conscience in a Troubled World
At a media briefing held earlier this week, Albanese expressed deep gratitude to the Foundation for the invitation, describing it as a profound moment of alignment between her work and Mandela’s enduring legacy.
“It’s truly a call of destiny to be invited by the Mandela Foundation, whose mission is to stir the trouble,” she said. “We need honesty and directness today, because in the face of a genocide perpetrated after decades of exploitation and dispossession, silence is complicity. Being in South Africa means so much to me personally this is the land that broke the chains of centuries of colonialism and apartheid, inspiring generations around the world.”
Her remarks come at a time of intense international focus on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Albanese, who has been tasked by the United Nations Human Rights Council to monitor and report on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, has been both lauded and criticised for her outspoken stance on human rights violations in the region.
‘Good Trouble’ in the Spirit of Mandela
Speaking to SAfm, Dr Mnguni Buthelezi, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, emphasised that hosting Albanese aligns with the Foundation’s commitment to “causing good trouble” a term rooted in Mandela’s philosophy of challenging injustice through courage and dialogue.
“Our mandate, as set out by Nelson Mandela himself, is to champion peace, democracy, and human rights,” said Buthelezi. “To us, that means standing up for truth, even when it is difficult to do so. We see Ms. Albanese’s presence as part of that work to call for peace and to bear witness to the suffering of others.”
Buthelezi acknowledged the criticism directed at the Foundation for its choice of speaker, particularly from the Embassy of Israel in South Africa, which voiced strong disapproval of Albanese’s invitation. However, he maintained that the Foundation would not shy away from difficult conversations.
“We must remember that during apartheid, it was global solidarity that sustained South Africa’s struggle for freedom,” he said. “Today, we are called to show that same solidarity for others facing oppression. Bearing witness to suffering may seem like ‘causing trouble,’ but it is the kind of good trouble that justice demands.”
Leading Up to the Lecture
In the days ahead of the lecture, the Foundation is hosting a series of roundtable discussions with representatives from government, civil society, and interfaith organisations, including Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders. These dialogues aim to foster mutual understanding and explore pathways toward global peacebuilding.
On Friday, 24 October, the Foundation will also unveil a new exhibition on displacement in Palestine, developed in collaboration with the South African Human Rights Commission Museum and Iziko Museums.
A Tradition of Global Leadership
The Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture has, over the years, drawn some of the world’s most influential voices from former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2018 to Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley in 2022. The growing anticipation surrounding Albanese’s lecture signals a renewed public appetite for courageous conversations about justice and peace on the global stage.
“We last saw this kind of interest during President Obama’s lecture,” Buthelezi noted. “The fact that tickets sold out in under 40 minutes shows that people want to engage, to listen, and to be part of the conversation.”
In partnership with SAfm, the 23rd Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture will be broadcast live this Saturday from the Sandton Convention Centre, allowing audiences across South Africa and beyond to tune into what promises to be a defining address on peace, justice, and global solidarity