Living the legacy – Morgan Freeman hands over the 46664 Invictus bangle

Morgan Freeman hands over the 46664 bangle to Julian Frame

July 12, 2010 – Actor Morgan Freeman, who played Nelson Mandela in the movie Invictus, today handed over his specially made 46664 bangle to the man who bought it at the Legacy Gala Dinner event.

Designed by South African jeweller Rael Kahn, Freeman’s 46664 bangle features spectacular Zambian emeralds and 18-karat South African gold and platinum.

Julian Frame, who owns sportswear retail outlet Cross Trainer, bought the bangle at the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Legacy Gala Dinner auction, which was held at the Sandton Convention Centre last week.

Earlier this year Freeman pledged to donate proceeds of the sale of this bangle to the Foundation, and that’s exactly what he did today.

Upon his arrival, Freeman chatted to Frame and the auctioneers about last night’s football game and spoke of how impressed he was that South Africa had pulled off an event such as the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Freeman, who is in the country for Mandela Day activities, will be one of the celebrity bikers travelling from town to town, encouraging people to commemorate Mandela Day and honour the legacy of the man who sacrificed his own freedom for that of others.

Speaking about Mandela Day, Freeman said, “During this week, we will be travelling across the country in an effort to encourage people to give 67 minutes of their time for a worthy cause.

“Mr Mandela gave 67 years of his life, so we are asking people to only give 67 minutes in his honour.”

Freeman then handed the bangle over to Frame. Asked what being the new owner of the bangle meant to him, Frame said it was about creating awareness and promoting the good work that the Foundation is doing: “I see it as a way to create sustainability in the long-term objectives of the Foundation. I feel strongly that the story [of Mr Mandela] needs to be told and [that] the baton needs to be passed [on] to new hands.”

The Foundation’s resource development manager, Ruth Rensburg, thanked Frame for the contribution he had made to the sustainability of the Foundation.

“We are pleased that they [Frame and Freeman] have made a commitment to do this on an ongoing basis. It is only through donors like these that the Foundation is able to take forward the work and humanitarian legacy of Nelson Mandela,” she said.

As a present to Freeman, Frame gave the actor, director, narrator and filmmaker a Bafana Bafana shirt, bearing Freeman’s name and the “team” number 67.