Ramaphosa Pledges to Donate Half of Presidential Salary to Mandela Fund

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged to donate half his salary to a fund honoring Nelson Mandela, the country’s first democratically elected leader who died in 2013, in a move aimed at encouraging his countrymen to do more for the poor.

“This fund will be launched on July 18 to mark the 100th anniversary of Madiba’s birth,” Ramaphosa, who referred to Mandela by his clan name, said in a speech to lawmakers in Cape Town on Wednesday. “This is a private, citizen-driven initiative that will ask all those with the means to contribute a small portion of their salaries to supporting the many small projects that build the nation.”